To Our Knees
by antelopetrope
Summary: In a surface world ravaged by centuries of war and pain, Frisk must choose between their innocence and their dreams. (Underpocalypse AU by antelopetrope, i.e. me) ll TW: Violence, mild language, major character deaths, parental abuse ll Also I now feel the obligatory need to mention that there is light Papyton and Alphyne so buckle up ladies and gents and all in between
1. Team (Part 1)

_Monsters. Humans. Since the dawn of time, both races have coexisted in harmony. They traded and fought alongside each other as brothers. For a very long time, the world was at peace._

 _But all eras must end. The humans grew fearful of the monsters' magic, and wished to vanquish them from the face of the earth. The monsters, desperate for their lives, lashed out ruthlessly. Their magic tore through mortal flesh, and revealed the true power of the humans. Their souls. With this newfound power, the monsters established dominance and spared the humans. It seemed peace had been restored._

 _But the humans had one more trick up their sleeve. They had determination. They tried for centuries to destroy monsterkind, and every time they failed. The constant warring brought unhealable scars to the land and it's people. Finally, the humans had had enough._

 _The monsters prayed for their surrender, but they got something no one could have predicted. The humans unleashed a strange and powerful weapon that tore and poisoned the Earth. Countless monster and human lives were lost. On that day, both races decided it was time to end this. Too many lives had been lost. They were too tired to keep taking more._

 _Seventy years passed, and society managed to rebuild itself and the shaky peace between monster and human. But do not be fooled. Peace is a concept long forgotten to the people of New Earth. War will take this world once again, it's only a matter of time._

"Another drink? Sans, you've had three already," Grillby stated, cleaning his glasses.

"Awww, c'mon, Grillbz! Just another for your _favorite_ patron!" Sans hiccuped.

"I don't play that game," Grillby said.

"What game?"

Grillby sighed and looked the skeleton in the eye. "Whatever. You get one more." The fire elemental returned to the back of the bar, where he kept all the vodka. He returned shortly, placing a glass in front of Sans.

"Hey, can I get some ketchup with that?" the skeleton asked.

Grillby muttered something under his breath, but he slid the ketchup towards Sans. The skeleton poured the ketchup into his vodka and took a swig.

"That's disgusting," Grillby commented.

"I like to call it 'revolutionary'. Why do you think no one has ever come up with this before?"

"They have," Grillby said. "It's called a bloody mary."

Just as Sans was about to reply, the door swung open, letting the harsh winter air in. Patrons swivelled their heads to see the newcomer.

It was a battered kid, shaking from hunger and cold. Their ratty hair had frosted with ice. All they had for protection was a dirty sweater and a dull kitchen knife. The kid's almond-shaped eyes glittered at the sight and smell of food.

They collapsed in the stool next to Sans. Grillby rushed off to find them something to eat.

"Hey, kid," Sans said. "You look a bit worse for wear. What's your name?"

"Frisk," they said, holding their hand out to the skeleton.

"Well, Frisk, I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton." He grabbed Frisk's hand. A rather inappropriate sound rang through the bar. The patrons around the duo groaned with distaste.

"Hey, good ol' whoopie cushion in the hand trick," Sans chuckled. "It's always funny." Frisk giggled, despite their weak physical state.

Grillby returned with a small piece of stale bread and a bowl of stew. "It's not much. I apoligize."

"No, no! It's no trouble," Frisk said. "It smells amazing."

"Please call if you need anything." Grillby said, rushing off to fill more orders.

Frisk wolfed down the food, enjoying the feeling of moist meat and vegetables on their tongue.

"Woah, kid. Slow down. You'll make yourself sick." Sans commented.

"Right now, I couldn't care less about being sick," Frisk replied between bites.

"You should. Medicine is hard to find around these parts. Where are you from, anyways?"

"Does it matter?" Frisk asked.

"Eh, not really," Sans shrugged, swigging his drink. "I get it. You don't wanna talk about it. I wouldn't, either." Frisk just grunted a yes.

It was silent for a while. Sans finished his drink while Frisk plowed through their food. Sans liked the kid. They had guts. Of course, it didn't matter. Their paths would likely never cross again. Sans would be wherever, doing whatever with Papyrus and Undyne. Frisk would be who-knows-where.

"Whelp," he said, slurping the last of his drink down. "I should head up to my room. My team is waiting on me."

"Team?" Frisk asked, looking up from their now-empty bowl of stew.

"Yeah. We've got training or something tomorrow, so I best be off. See ya, kid."

"Wait!" Frisk called. "You're a Protector, right? I mean, you have a team?"

"Well, I mean, it's not official, but-"

"Please," Frisk said. "That's why I'm here. I want to be a Protector. Can you please help me?"

"Kid, I'm sorry, but I'm not in charge of that. Like I said, I'm not official. I'm just tagging along to make sure my family doesn't get hurt."

"Please," Frisk pleaded. "This is all I've ever wanted."

As much as Sans wanted to say no, he couldn't bring himself to do that. From the little Frisk had said, it sounded like they had been through hell just for this opportunity. Sans couldn't bear to send them away after all that.

"Fine," he caved. "I'll talk to my team. I'll see what I can do."

"Oh God, thank you. Thank you so much," Frisk cried.

"Let's see what we can do."

As it turned out, Undyne was already in a good mood when Sans walked in. She was polishing her prized spear, gushing about some anime to a half-interested Papyrus. The two looked up at Sans.

"Hello, Brother!" Papyrus exclaimed, throwing his arms around Sans.

"Hey, Paps," Sans replied, hugging the taller skeleton. "Hey, we need to talk. Like, as a team."

"Sure," Undyne said, setting her spear aside. "What's up?"

Sans told them the story how they met Frisk. While Papyrus looked happy about the idea, Undyne was frowning. "Sans," she said. "You realize that, by taking this kid in, we'll only have another mouth to feed, right?"

"I know," Sans said. "But by saying no, we'll be throwing an innocent kid back on the streets to die."

"But we could direct them to the city!" Undyne argued. "They'll have a chance there."

"I don't think they will," Papyrus interjected. "I don't go there as often as you do, Undyne. But I hear that there's a lot of crime, and few Protectors are willing to fight back."

"It's a human!" Undyne exclaimed. "I don't know much about humans. But I know they're durable. The kid will be fine."

"Undyne," Sans said. "This kid almost died. I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself if I sent a starving child to fend for themselves. Undyne bit her lip. That hit hard with everyone in the group. They had all experienced hardship. Every Protector has.

"Well," Undyne said. "I'm obviously outvoted. Get the kid, Sans."

"Sure," Sans said. "Thanks, by the way."

He stepped out into the hall, where Frisk waited. "Hey, kid," Sans said. "Come on in, I need to introduce you to your new team."


	2. Training

As it turned out, Papyrus _really_ liked Frisk. The tall skeleton was content with discussing spaghetti all night. Apparently, Frisk was surprisingly well-versed in the field of culinary studies.

"You think spaghetti is great?" Frisk had said. "There's tons of more pasta dishes like that. One time, I had this linguini pasta with garlic butter and blackened sea bass. It was amazing!"

"Wow, kid," Sans said. "That sounds pretty fancy. I don't hear about food like that down here."

Frisk blushed. "Eh. It's just a thing I had once. It's not a big deal."

Undyne, however, was suspicious. This kid had come seemingly out of nowhere, and they were suddenly a part of the team. Undyne didn't necessarily hate them or anything, but she didn't trust Frisk.

"So," she drawled casually. "Where do ya have to go to get food like that? I don't hear about that unless you're up in the airships!"

Frisk winced. They were hoping no one would ask. "Well, uhhh…" they started. "I may have spent some time up there."

"Wowie! I thought only important people get to live up there!" Papyrus exclaimed.

"I- I snuck on, while they were boarding," Frisk smiled through their lie.

"Wow!" Undyne said, genuinely impressed. "You should teach us how to do that sometime! I wanna get in on this "linguini" action!"

"Heh, maybe tomorrow," Sans sighed. "Right now, I'm ready to hit the fan."

"Sans, you always want to nap all night! You lazybones!" Papyrus shouted.

"No, Sans is right," Undyne said, jumping into her bunk. "We have plenty of time tomorrow to do whatever. Let's just get some rest.

"Can do," Sans said, who almost immediately started snoring.

Frisk started to lay down, until they realized that they had nowhere to sleep. "Uh, Undyne? Where should I sleep?" They asked the fish monster.

Undyne threw her blanket at them. "Take that, I like the cold anyway. Make a bed or something."

Frisk wrapped the blanket around themselves, finding a comfy spot at the foot of Sans' bed. It was strange, sleeping with other people. Frisk spent so many nights scared and hungry with no one to back them up. Hearing the snores and mumbling of the monsters, Frisk still couldn't believe it. It was almost unnerving, but Frisk felt safe, for nearly the first time in their life. They drifted off to sleep, feeling carefree and light, prepared for the day ahead.

"Kid, get up! We need to go over our weekly schedule!" Undyne shouted. Flicking the lights on and off.

"Urgh, really?" Frisk groaned, throwing their blanket off.

"Trust me, kiddo, I'm not enthusiastic about it either," Sans grunted.

"Come on, my cool friends! Spaghetti is almost ready!" Papyrus cheered.

The smell of Spaghetti-Os wafted towards Frisk, making their stomach grumble. Groaning, they got out of bed, throwing their shoes on. They ran their little comb through their short hair. They slumped on Sans' bed as Papyrus handed them a bowl of "spaghetti". It tasted stale and overcooked, and it definitely didn't come close to airship food, but it was food, and Frisk had learned to accept food no matter what.

"Okay, team," Undyne began. "Grillby is letting us stay until Friday. Today is Wednesday. We'll spend the next two days training, and then we'll stay in The City for a few weeks."

"So you can spend time with your girlfriend?" Sans deadpanned.

"U-Uh," Undyne stuttered, red as a beet. "K-kinda?"

Sans just slipped five dollars to Papyrus, chuckling.

"We need to run errands, anyway! There's really not that much out here in the way of shops," Undyne retorted.

It was true. Other than Grillby's, a small shop run by a rabbit monster and a small neighborhood, this part of town was rather barren.

"Okay, may we start on that training now, Ms. Undyne?" Papyrus asked as he collected dishes from everyone.

"Sure," Undyne shrugged. "Everyone, to the ring!"

Why did Grillby have a boxing ring in his basement? No one really knew. But he let passing protectors use it to sharpen up on their combat skills. It was rather old-fashioned. Just a padded floor with stretchy cords to make up the walls. Frisk knew they used these back in the 21st century. Now, they had much greater technology for the purpose of combat practice.

The rest of the basement wasn't much. It was mostly kegs and crates of alcohol, and a small freezer for food. Dust and cobwebs covered nearly every surface. Frisk had forgotten the lack of services the surface had to offer.

"Alright! Sans, I need you to work on hand-to-hand combat. Papyrus, work on concentrating magic into something powerful. Be as creative as you want," Undyne ordered. Two teal, holographic bodies emerged from the tip of her spear.

"What about me?" Frisk asked.

"I'm gonna teach you the basics of fighting," Undyne exclaimed. "Alright, kid. Step into the ring." Frisk did as she was told. "I want you to come at me with everything you have. In three, two, one. Go!"

Frisk made a mad dash for Undyne, who sidestepped and threw a quick jab into the small of Frisk's back. They winced in pain, but managed to land a soft butterfly kick onto Undyne's chest. She grabbed their ankle and threw them into the ground. Frisk didn't move.

"You ok?" Undyne approached Frisk. As soon as she got close enough, Frisk whipped around and left-hooked her in the jaw. Undyne stumbled back, but quickly recovered and landed a square kick to Frisk's leg. They cried out and stumbled to the ground. They tapped the floor, signifying surrender.

"Not bad at all," Undyne said. "You held your own for a pretty long time, huh? But in real combat, your opponent won't fall for that trick. They'll either kill you, or they won't take the bait at all. You need to learn how to have an ace up your sleeve at all times. C'mere, I'll teach you the basics."

For the next five hours, Undyne taught Frisk various punches, kicks and blocks. She also taught them about wrist and headlocks, and how to get out of them. Undyne even taught them about "forms" which were just a long series of attacks and blocks. She even told them to practice jabbing with their dagger, which they greatly enjoyed. Sans, per usual, had decided he had had enough effort for the day, and watched the duo go at it.

"Okay," Undyne said, swigging her water bottle. "I just taught you more than what I learned in six months of human training, but you won't only be fighting humans. You'll have to fight monsters as well. The thing about monsters is that we don't use hand-to-hand often. We like to use magic.

Thing is, you can't use magic, being a human and all. So, until we can get you a proper magic block, you'll just have to dodge. Grab that knife of yours."

Frisk picked up their knife, unsure of what was going to happen. Undyne used her main spear to summon about twenty more, which hovered around her in a threatening manner.

"Okay, kid. These things won't kill you if you touch them,but they'll hurt like hell if you aren't careful. I want you to dodge as many as you can. Try to get close to me, and then hit me with your knife. Got it?"

Frisk nodded, shaking worse than their old neighbor's chihuahua. Almost immediately, the spears flew at them. Frisk began running, occasionally darting in some direction to avoid the spears striking in all directions. One grazed their arm, and it took everything to not cry. It burnt worse than fire. But they kept going. They rolled under the wall of spears forming around Undyne. She was just up ahead. Frisk readied their knife. They quickly swiped at Undyne, drawing her back towards the spears. If Frisk could pin her against the now fifty spears, she'd be vulnerable. They kept slashing and stabbing, pushing her further and further back. She stopped moving. This was the perfect opportunity. Frisk sprinted forward, blade outstretched.

They slipped forward on the slick surface. They cried out as their dagger struck Undyne, cutting through her monster's body like butter. It all happened so fast. Undyne fell to her knees, clutching her abdomen. Frisk regained their footing and stood in front of Undyne, knife hand trembling. Sans and Papyrus rushed forward to examine Undyne's wound.

"I'm so sorry!" Frisk cried out, collapsing next to Undyne. "I didn't- I didn't mean to-"

"Hey, punk! I'm fine!" Undyne said, mustering her signature grin. "Besides, you'll probably have to do this in the field, anyway. Better get used to it now!"

"Do what?" Frisk cried.

"I mean, kill someone! You will kill somebody, if that's what it comes to, right?"

"I… I…" Frisk couldn't even think of what to say. Could they kill someone? They weren't sure.

"Oh, you'll be fine," Sans assured. "You just need monster stitches, and Grillby has those."

"How do you know that?" Papyrus asked. Sans only blushed.

"I, um, I'mgonnagogetthosebye," Sans rushed upstairs without another word.

"He spends a lot of time with Grillby," Papyrus noted.

Frisk felt a little bit better after they knew that Undyne would be okay. Of course, they still stayed by her side the entire time, trying to provide at least some comfort. Although she wouldn't admit, Frisk could tell that she was in pain.

"Don't worry, kid," she chuckled. "I've been through a lot worse than this. This is nothing."

Frisk wanted to ask what she meant, but figured that it was a touchy subject and bit their tongue.

Sans came back with a spool of milky white thread and a needle. "Okay, Undyne. This is gonna hurt. Like, a lot. I suggest squeezing onto something."

"Pffft, who do think I am? I've gotten stitches before. I'll be fine."

"If you say so. Here I go," Sans knelt down and inserted the needle into Undyne's skin. She bit her lip in obvious discomfort, but made no other signs that she was in pain.

"What are monster stitches?"Frisk asked. They had never heard of such a thing.

"They're almost exactly like human stitches, but they seal magic into a monster's body. See, kid, monsters are almost completely made out of magic. Whatever isn't magic is dust and our souls. Magic is basically what binds our body together. As we get injured or sick, our magic can deplete. Without that to bind our body together, we turn to dust and, well, we die. The stitches work to slow and stop our magic depletion, kind of like how human stitches stop blood loss," Sans explained.

"Wow. I've never had a lot of exposure to monster biology," Frisk said.

Watching the stitching was rather grueling. At certain points, Frisk had to turn their head away. Back home, injuries were uncommon, and injuries serious enough to need stitches were almost nonexistent. Of course, most times someone was hurt the dirty work would take place in a sterile, quarantined hospital. Sans' place of work was a dirty wine cellar filled with dust and sweat.

Finally, Sans finished his handiwork and stood up. "Alright, you are free to move about the cabin. I'd take it easy until the stitches dissolve. Seriously, no more heavy training."

"Dammit," Undyne cursed. "At least I'll have a new scar to show off. We're lucky that knife of yours isn't long," she added to Frisk. They sighed in apology. "Hey, it's nothing to fret about! I told you to hit me, and you hit me. It's not your fault."

"But I hurt you really bad. If I hadn't slipped, it wouldn't have been that dangerous," Frisk argued.

"Kid," Sans said. "You won't get away with scratching your enemies in the field. If you want to protect people, you're gonna have to get used to maiming and killing."

Frisk said nothing. "It's okay, my small human friend! You get to help people, too! We've saved a lot of lives!" Papyrus cheered.

"Yeah, I guess we have," Undyne grinned. "Now come on, I'm starving!"

The four walked upstairs into the bar, where dinner service was already in full-swing.

"Wowie!" Papyrus said. "I've never seen this many people here before!"

"Yeah," Undyne agreed. "A whole fifteen guests is a lot for such a deadbeat town. Yo, being slashed in the stomach made me hungry. Can we eat?"

"Yeah, I'm starved," Sans chimed in.

The four seated themselves at a table in the far corner. Most guests were playing poker and hustling pool across the bar, a ways away from them.

"Hey, I'm probably gonna gamble a bit as soon as I get a bite to eat," Undyne said. "You guys wanna come?"

"Sure," Sans shrugged. "You know I play a mean poker. What about you two?"

"Of course not!" Papyrus exclaimed. "I, The Great Papyrus, like to earn my savings honestly! Besides, I don't really wanna stay in this greasy bar for very much longer."

"Frisk?" Undyne offered.

"Nah, I'm not the greatest at billiards, and I've never played poker."

Grillby soon placed a stick of butter, a small loaf of bread, several bowls of soup and coffee at the table.

"Thanks, Grillbz. It looks great," Sans commented, sighing in pleasure at the scent of food. Sansand Undyne scarfed their food down rather fast, and went off with small satchels of gold in their hands. Monsters had apparently always used gold as currency, while humans preferred paper and cheap metal with set amounts. After the Crisis of Species, however, human currency lost nearly all value and eventually humans switched to using gold.

"Soooo," Papyrus drawled, suddenly feeling a bit awkward at the prospect of being left alone with a human they had known for about a day. "Where are you from, human?"

Frisk shrugged. "Just a human neighborhood. What about you?"

"Well, actually, our father was His Highness' old royal scientist!" Papyrus beamed. "So I grew up in his lab! It was really nice, even though he wasn't around much. He would sometimes talk about things before the Crisis! Some of the things he said were unbelievable! Like how bright and happy everything was! Every Christmas, people would put up trees decorated in pretty lights and the snow was actually white! Well, I've only seen snow once and it was a gross, muddy brown from all the trash and pollution. Man, I wanna see that someday!"

Frisk giggled. That sounded _really_ cool. Humans and most monsters didn't live long enough to remember the times before the Crisis. But through passed-down rumours and old documents, historians had a grasp on what things were like.

Papyrus' expression suddenly turned bleak. "Of course, Sans didn't really like our dad. He always was saying that he never took care of us. They fought a lot. Dad stopped being around as I got older, and Sans took care of me. Even though he's a total lazybones, he still cooked and cleaned. He even made food for Dad! So I think he cared about our dad a lot more than he likes to admit. That's why- No! No more sad talk! I will not chase away a new friend with my tragic backstory!" Papyrus chided.

"You… You think I'm a friend?" Frisk asked.

"Of course, tiny human companion!" Papyrus shouted. "Everyone is a friend! Even your enemies can be friends if you try hard enough!"

"Thanks, Papyrus," Frisk said. "I know you three barely know me, and I kind of intruded on your team, but it really helps to know that you guys care about me. By the way, how did you and Sans meet Undyne? At least, If you're comfortable with me asking."

"Ah," Papyrus said,"Well, it's a long story. One day, after a really bad argument with Dad, Sans picked me up after school and we just… never went back. I was too young to understand at the time, but I would always ask Sans when we could go home. He would always say 'Pap, that wasn't our home'. We were miles away from home. I really missed Dad," Papyrus chuckled dryly.

"Some way or another, we found ourselves in The City. I had always been a fan of the Royal Guard, so it was to my surprise when we found the former head of the Royal Guard wandering about the streets of Hollywood! When we ran into her, Undyne told us she had to take two homeless monster kids under her wing. Both Undyne and I wanted to protect people, so we decided to take to the streets to do just that!"

Papyrus lowered his voice. "Of course, I think the years have taken a toll on Undyne. She's not like she used to be. She's not determined anymore. She always says that she kills more people than she saves."

Frisk cast down their eyes. Was it really like that?

"But it's not all bad!" Papyrus said, picking himself back up. "I, The Great Papyrus, will save as many people as I can! After, someone as magnificent as me is perfect for bringing joy! Nyeh heh heh!"

"Well, it's a good thing someone around here is positive. I could always use more optimism," Frisk smiled. They had experienced enough pain and sorrow.

"Well!" Papyrus said. "I guess I'll just have to be optimistic enough for all four of us!

They small talked for the next hour, trading fun stories. Papyrus told Frisk more strange things from before the Crisis. Frisk wrinkled their nose at some things, like the idea "Black Friday" These days, people had to fight tooth and nail every day to buy nice things. Other things, like picnics, sounded heavenly.

"You know?" Frisk asked. "We should go on a picnic someday."

"Great idea, human! I can bring my legendary spaghetti!"

"Hey, we talkin' about spaghetti?" Undyne sashayed up to the duo, satchel replenished with gold. She plopped down in the chair next to Frisk to begin counting her earnings.

"Yes! Frisk just had the marvelous idea of having a picnic!"

"Wow, a picnic? Sounds fancy," Sans said from behind Frisk.

"How did you get there?" Frisk asked.

Sans shrugged, and seated himself in his chair (backwards).

"Maybe when we get to The City," Undyne said. "Which, by the by, we're gonna leave tomorrow."

"Couldn't stay away from your sweetheart for just a day longer?" Sans smirked.

"Oh, shut up!" Undyne snarked. "I just felt like we should go tomorrow. The tram is cheaper on Thursdays."

"Very well then!" Papyrus said. "We shall leave tomorrow at 7 sharp! No dilly-dallying!" He sprinted upstairs to pack for the ride.

"Guess we should follow his lead," Sans said.

That night, Frisk chose a more comfy spot to sleep. They had found a bedroll in the basement that Grillby told them to keep. They wrapped their torn hoodie around themselves for extra warmth. Frisk made a mental note to buy new clothing in The City, and maybe a better weapon as well. This hoodie hadn't been washed in a long, long time, and Frisk had barely taken it off since running away. There were other reasons it had to go, as well. Even though Frisk had ripped the insignia of the chest, it still bore the colors of their family, which would be a dead giveaway to any bounty hunter. Not to mention a hoodie was impractical for the desert.

Frisk fantasized about the beautiful coast and wild tropical plants that once decorated these lands. The effects of the Crisis had transformed the entire West Coast into a barren desert, killing many of the plants and animals. Frisk had always wanted to live in the Tropics, so much so that they turned their holo-window in their old room into a dashing coastal panorama.

Sans twitched in his bed, mumbling about something. Frisk couldn't quite make out what he was saying. They shrugged it off, concluding that Sans was a sleep talker. But his murmuring just got louder, until Frisk could make out the words he was saying.

"Pap…? Where are you….? ...Papyrus…." His whispers grew more urgent. "Don't leave…. Undyne….? Papyrus….? No!" Sans shot out of bed, magic ready. He glanced around the dark room. Immediately, Frisk shut their eyes, pretending to be asleep. Sans relaxed, allowing his magic to dissipate. Everyone was safe. Frisk, Papyrus and Undyne were all sound asleep. He glanced over at Frisk, who was curled up peacefully. Sans smiled. He was happy that he had taken in the kid after all. Although he has only known them for a little over a day, he already felt like Frisk trusted them, and Sans trusted Frisk.

Sans wasn't sure he would actually go back to sleep, but he flipped over on his bed and curled up, closing his eyes. Frisk, too, was starting to feel very drowsy. At some point, they drifted off to sleep.


	3. City

When Frisk awoke, almost everything had been packed away. Somehow, Papyrus had managed to fit all of their belongings into their bags.

"Oh, good. You're up. Sans is downstairs checking out, so you best get up and ready," Undyne said.

"What about breakfast?"

"There's a diner at the tram station, we'll eat there," Undyne said. "We'll be waiting at the bar. Chop, chop." On that note, she turned and strode down the hall.

Frisk gathered their things, including the hoodie, and stuffed it all into their bag. They didn't want to risk being seen by someone of ill intent. They slung it around their back and sped down the hall.

In the bar, Undyne and Papyrus were arm-wrestling on the counter, with Undyne taking a drastic lead. She slammed Papyrus' arm bone into the counter, and she raised her hands in victory. Sans stood of to the side watching their antics, a wide grin on his face. "You ready, kiddo?" He asked as Frisk skipped up to his side.

"Yep!" they smiled.

"You're awful cheery today, aren't you?"

"I'm just ready to get out of this place," Frisk murmured behind their hand. Unfortunately, Grillby overheard and glared at them.

"Alright, punks! Let's hit the road!" Undyne hollered.

The nearest tram station was about a mile uphill from Grillby's. Sans and Frisk lagged behind while Undyne and Papyrus sprinted off to race.

"You okay?" Frisk asked abruptly.

"Yeah, kiddo. Why's that?" Sans asked, stopping the face Frisk.

"Oh, just wondering. You seem pretty tired."

"I guess I didn't sleep that much," Sans shrugged.

"Why?" Frisk asked.

"Eh, guess it wasn't inte _rest_ ing enough," Sans winked.

Frisk chuckled at the pun, but regained a serious face. "Sans, seriously, why can't you sleep?"

"Let's just focus on getting to the tram." Sans' tone was enough for Frisk to get the message. Although he was still smiling, his eyes no longer had a content light to them. He looked rather angry and sad. Frisk was worried that they had offended him, but he chuckled.

"Sorry 'bout that," he said. "S' kind of a touchy subject. Anyways, howzabout we take a shortcut to the tram?

"Shortcut?"

"Yeah, kid. Follow me," Sans led Frisk behind a bush and grabbed their hand.

Whatever Frisk was expecting, it wasn't this. The air around them thinned. Frisk felt their feet leave the ground, and they looked beneath them. Nothing. They doubled over, feeling white-hot electricity pulsing at their core. If they had had breakfast, it would have been gone by now. Frisk looked up at Sans, who looked like he had done this a million times before. The skeleton stood casually, bright, azure magic enveloping his body. His left eye glowed in a brilliant blue. Sans' blue jacket flapped wildly in the chaos. For the past 36 hours, Frisk had seen Sans as just another monster. But the magic he had felt much more potent than almost any other monster they had encountered.

Just as quickly as they departed, Sans' and Frisk's feet landed soundly on a wooden platform. Frisk had never been so glad to be on stable ground.

"Fast shortcut, huh?" Sans winked. "It takes some getting used to. But hey, we're at the tram station, so that was at least somewhat successful."

"You could have told me it would be the worst thing ever," Frisk grunted, dusting themselves off.

"Oh, my!" Papyrus cried, coming to a halt in front of them. "I do believe I win! Oh, hello human and Sans!"

"Heya, Paps," Sans grinned. "I'm starving. How mad do you think Undyne will be if we go to the diner without her?"

"Don't even think about it, twerp!" Undyne screamed, sprinting from the trees. "Papyrus, you're surprisingly fast!"

Papyrus looked up at her. "I feel so flattered!" he practically squealed.

"Yay. We're all here," Sans said. "Now, I kinda want my pancakes."

* * *

The diner was apparently an old box bar that had been transformed into an eatery. It was rather seedy and old, with springy chairs and greasy tables. However, Frisk liked the atmosphere. Chatter filled the dining room as people discussed all the places they were going to see. Businessmen in dusty suits checked their communicators and stared at their watches. Two pretty girls shared heartfelt kisses, admiring silver bands on their fingers.

Sans tapped his finger bones on the table and took swigs of ketchup, much to the waitress' dismay. Papyrus and Undyne whispered to each other about their plans once they made it to the city. Frisk was able to pick out that they both planned on meeting friends they had.

The waitress placed Frisk's poached egg in front of them, and held her hand out for a tip. Frisk fished in their pocket and placed three golden coins in her palm. Next to them, Sans was digging into his pancakes, preferring the taste of ketchup to the syrup next to him.

Something scuttled along the wall. Frisk looked closer to see what it was. It was a small, fuzzy spider, staring back at them intently with beady, black eyes. Frisk shrugged. It was the diner's problem, not theirs.

For the next hour or so, Undyne gushed excitedly about a certain weapons shop in the city. Frisk frowned at the silvery stitches on her chest. She wore a cropped tank under her leather jacket, completely exposing the wound. Frisk didn't like looking at their handiwork.

"Relax, kid," Undyne said, noticing Frisk's discomfort. "I like showing my battle scars."

"Oh, ok-" Frisk began.

"OUR TRAM IS LEAVING IN SIXTY SECONDS!" Papyrus, screeched. He nearly grabbed Frisk and Sans, and Undyne tagged behind.

"Wait! You haven't paid!" The waiter cried. Sans practically threw his money at the waitress. They made a mad dash for the already-running tram, leaping into the doors.

"That was," Sans panted, "certainly something."

"Hey, we made it, so that was at least, somewhat successful," Frisk said with a cheeky wink.

"Oh, shut up," Sans replied jokingly.

The ride was painstakingly slow. Frisk watched the snowy desert fly with dull interest. They would pass the occasional home, but nothing more. Everything was just sand and rubble.

"Wow," Frisk said. "The apocalypse really did do a number on the Old World, huh?"

"Yep," Sans said. "Humans and Monsters had to be pretty pissed at each other for them to destroy the whole country. But hey, at least we cleaned up their mess. More or less."

"Did we?" Frisk asked. "There's still so many things wrong with this world. Racism, poverty, violence, the list goes on."

Sans looked up from his newspaper. "Kiddo. I agree with you. We're not living anymore. We're surviving. Picking out the scraps from the world our ancestors destroyed."

Frisk expected him to say something else, for him to say "but" and follow up with some optimistic speech. It didn't happen.

Frisk sighed and continued their brooding. They stared at the distant City, listening to the hustle and bustle of their tram car. Waitresses clinked china together as they rushed in and out. Businessmen chattered into their devices, arranging meetings and get-togethers. It all blurred together into an indistinguishable noise that Frisk didn't feel like comprehending.

The barren wasteland eventually gave way to dilapidated buildings and warehouses. Frisk could see families outside their depressing homes, hanging clothes in the dusty streets. Crowds of people huddled in alleyways for warmth, bags and carts filled with everything they had. Grafitti decorated every wall, and men and women sat at booth in ramshackle markets.

"Sad, isn't it?" Undyne said, coming up behind Frisk. "These are the hovels. The people that live here are poor, defenseless. Tens of hundreds die every single day. Yet they maintain hope and determination. They refuse to keep fighting, even if it's for nothing. I want to protect them, so they can keep hoping and dreaming and loving."

Frisk could see it too. Despite the horrible conditions, children played in the dirt. Mothers watched lovingly from the doors. People were hard at work, laboring to take care of their family.

"You're right. That's really cool of you, Undyne," Frisk smiled.

The tram passed through the wall surrounding the city, submerging the car in darkness. Frisk could hear the rush of water as it was pumped from the city to the hovels. They looked down beneath the rails, where the murky water gushed like a river. Frisk gulped when they realized that this dirty, used water was what was keeping those poor families alive.

"We're here! I can finally stretch my bones!" Papyrus squealed as light blinded Frisk. They looked all around at the surrounding city. While the conditions weren't pristine, they sure looked a lot better than the surrounding hovels. Half-destroyed skyscrapers had been repaired, and towered high above the eager citizens. Miniature airships and modern cars cruised through the sky and streets. Monsters and humans clad in thick clothes wandered about, chattering. A thin layer of snow blanketed everything. Frisk could see the seams in buildings where Old World brick and steel met the silver of modern renovations. It was like a bridge between both old and new. Frisk found it breathtaking.

"New L.A. sure is something, huh?" Sans said.

Frisk could only nod.

"Heh, it really shows how far we've come from war and genocide. Now come on, we have errands to run," Sans said.

Frisk scrambled after him, with Undyne and Papyrus close behind. They jumped off the tram and into the station. Monsters and humans milled about, admiring trinkets from sales booths. While most of the city had very Old World touches, the station was very modern and sleek.

"Believe it or not, the world didn't completely end when we went to war for centuries," Undyne said, noticing Frisk's curiosity. "Actually, while the economy crashed for a while, there were still supplies, although rather limited, since most things of actual value were given to the militaries. But some inventor guy used household supplies and Old World junk to make a very primitive tram. I think it was for medical use or something."

"Where did you learn that?" Sans asked.

"Myyy… friend?" Undyne said, although it sounded more questioning than she wanted.

"Of course," Sans said without missing a beat.

"Enough dilly dally, you three! Are we going to the market soon?" Papyrus hollered.

"Yeah, Paps. Let's go," Sans said.

The four trekked several blocks to a massive plaza, chock-full of tents and customers. Each tent had a colorful array of items inside, and Frisk wanted to see it all.

"Okay," Undyne said. "Sans, you take Frisk to go shopping for supplies and a suitable weapon. A rusty kitchen knife is definitely not optimal for combat. Papyrus, I'm trusting you to stock us up on food. Cheap and fast to make, alright?"

"What about you?" Frisk asked.

"I'm gonna get my spear sharpened, grab medical supplies and some other stuff."

"Sweet," Sans said. "Let's meet back here in two hours."

The three groups parted ways. "Sans, where are we going?" Frisk asked.

"To a cheap store that happens to have everything we need," Sans replied. He strode through the dense crowd, somehow not bumping into anyone. Frisk struggled to keep up.

Finally, he stopped in front of a tent that read "Gerson's Junk Stop".

"Undyne said clothes and weapons, not junk," Frisk panted.

"Technically," Sans said. "Junk is anything no one wants. What's to say there aren't any weapons and clothes people don't want?"

Frisk sighed. It was a long shot, but he was right. Sans walked in.

The interior was closed off, unlike most other tents, so Frisk couldn't even see inside.

They ducked into the entryway, and were immediately assaulted by a cloud of dust.

They coughed, waving the dust away, and opened their stinging eyes.

The inside was not what they expected. Glowing crystals lined the shelves, illuminating the otherwise dark shop. A small caddy advertising "Crab Apples" and "Sea Tea" sat in a lonely corner. Books piled up nearly to the ceiling. At the counter, a withered turtle monster sat, gazing at something through a magnifying glass. A single oil lamp illuminated his workplace. He was surrounded by random, well, junk.

He looked up. "Wahahaha! Anything you want?"

Sans looked up from browsing. "We'll take two Sea Teas while we browse, thanks."

"Two Sea Teas it is! Now, where are they, again?" The turtle muttered to himself.

"In that caddy in the corner, sir," Frisk pointed it out.

"Wahaha! This is your first time in my store, and you already know better than me! Well, help yourself." The old turtle chuckled.

"Thanks!" Frisk smiled. "But how did you know I've never been here?"

"Gerson remembers every customer," Sans said.

"Yes! I still remember the time you and your little brother came here with Undyne! You two were babybones!"

If skeletons could blush, Sans would be doing so. "I was seventeen," he commented.

"That's practically a newborn when you've lived as long as I have!" Gerson chuckled. He returned to his work.

Frisk grabbed a Sea Tea and took a sip. The beverage itself was a milky turquiose, not unlike the sea itself. It had a salty yet sweet flavor, and it felt insanely pleasant on Frisk's tongue. They had to remember these existed.

They began to peruse through the weapons on the shelf. They had grown rather fond of their knife, and if they could help it, Frisk wanted something similar. One weapon in particular caught their eye. It was a long dagger. The blade itself looked worn, but still undeniably sharp. The handle was simple wood. Age had stripped it of its the most notable features were the two interconnected hearts, one right side up and the other pointing down.

"Hey, Sans, I like this dagger." Frisk called. Both Gerson and Sans came to look.

"Oh, that one," Gerson said somberly. "Technically, it's not for sale, but you can have it. I can see something in you, something I saw in its previous owner. Keep it safe. I'll go get the holster!"

"Are you sure? I feel bad taking your dagger," Frisk said.

"It's your dagger now! Wahaha!" Gerson laughed. Anything else you need?"

"Um, yeah. Just some clothes, Frisk said. Gerson went to the back of the shop to find the dagger's holster.

They turned to browse with Sans in the small clothing section. They picked out a desert tunic, a parka, and several shirts, pants and pairs of boots. Frisk also bought two bracelets that concealed small knives.

"Is that everything?" Gerson asked, returning to the counter with a simple leather holster. Frisk and Sans placed all the items for purchase on the counter. Sans dropped 100 gold in front of Gerson. The turtle accepted it and put their items in a grocery bag. He handed the dagger and holster to Frisk.

"Take care of this," Gerson said quietly. "It's very important. Practically a piece of , not yet. But I have a feeling you'll make it so."

"Well, thanks!" Frisk said. They walked out of the shop with Sans.

"Why do old, wise people always speak in riddles?" Frisk asked once out of earshot.

"No idea, But hey, we have some time. Why not get a hot chocolate?" Sans replied.

"You are way too eager to spend money," Frisk joked.

* * *

After their treat, Frisk and Sans sat at the center of the plaza, waiting for Papyrus and Undyne. The sun was beginning to set, and they should have met up about ten minutes prior. Although he wouldn't show it, Frisk knew Sans was starting to worry. His brother was his world. Sans had earlier revealed that the only reason he tagged along with Undyne and Papyrus was so his brother didn't get hurt. Frisk was starting to worry, too. The dagger at their side was getting heavier and heavier by the minute. If Papyrus and Undyne weren't back soon, would they have to rescue them? Would they have to fight?

Their question were soon answered as Undyne came bolting towards them, panic stricken on her face. "Papyrus, he's gone!" She shouted as soon as she was earshot.

"What do you mean?" Sans growled, his voice lethally cold. His pupils were completely gone, his eyesockets were an empty black. Frisk found the image unsettling.

"He's just gone!" Undyne cried."I was looking for him so we could meet up, and I heard him shout something! I followed him, and he was just gone!"

"Where?" Sans said, grabbing Undyne's arms, despite being drastically shorter than her.

She pointed behind her. Sans took off.

"Wait!" She shouted, but he wasn't stopping. Undyne and Frisk sprinted after him.

Sans kept running, yelling his brother's name. He was normally lazy, but he was going as fast as his legs could carry him.

He finally stopped to catch his bearings in a small alleyway. He could hear Frisk and Undyne catch up behind him.

"Sans, I'm scared too. But panicking won't help Papyrus. We'll notify the law-" Undyne started.

"We are the law!" Sans interrupted.

"We need to stay calm, and- Wait,do you smell that?" Undyne asked. Sans stopped. She was right,something did smell weird. It smelled sweet, like lemons and it also carried a bitter, poisonous smell.

He realized what it was. "We need to get out of here. Fast!" He said. "Let's go!"

But it was too late. All three of them felt their consciousness breaking. Their eyes drooped, and they collapsed.

* * *

 **Yes, this was like 90 percent filler except that last bit, but I need to make occasional filler chapters to move the story along. I've already started writing the next chapter, and I'm gonna try to update weekly but we'll see. Expect updates on Sunday/Monday. The next chapter is gonna be a bit shorter, at least I think, but it will definitely be more interesting. I'm at that point where I'm going to develop the story more. I plan to do more character introducing and worldbuilding from here on out. Hope you guys like action with a side of feels!**


	4. Web

Sans opened his eyes, blinking away the tears that formed from the light. He tried to stretch, but it was no use. He was firmly tied down. He was in a dilapidated warehouse, filled with crates, dust and cobwebs. The bright moon shown through a hole in the ceiling.

"Glad you could join us," Undyne said. Sans looked over at his companions. Undyne, Frisk and Papyrus were awake.

"Oh, thank God you're safe," Sans sighed in relief upon seeing Papyrus.

"We've been trapped for a while," Frisk said. "It's night. Also we left my clothes at the plaza."

Sans cursed. They'd have to buy more clothes for Frisk when they had the chance.

Their reunion was interrupted by the sound of an oven dinging."Oh, my, cake is already ready?" A figure slid underneath the single illuminated light. Whoever Sans was expecting, this wasn't it. She was a short and slim monster with various spiderlike features, including extra eyes and wore a cute blouse, striped bloomers, pointy boots and ball gown gloves. Overall, she looked like a Halloween decoration.

"I'd offer you four some, but it looks like you're a little 'tied up'," She sneered. Sans had to clench his jaw to not laugh at the horrid pun.

"Alright, cut to the chase. Why are we here?" Undyne asked.

"Oh, I have no idea why you're here. I told my partners to kill you three on sight. The only one I'm interested in is your little human friend."

Sans had no idea why this monster would set her sights on Frisk, and he was more than curious to find out why.

"You see," The spider girl smiled, turning towards Frisk. "A rather handsome and wealthy young man has been searching all over for you, dearie. But, for the life of me, I can't remember his name. Was it Westie?"

"Wesley," Frisk growled under their breath.

"You know that name?" Undyne asked.

"It's not important," Frisk muttered.

"Oh, you haven't told them? It _is_ important, like you. You're worth more than diamonds! I'll have so much gold when this is over!" The spider girl began to crack up.

"Frisk, where is she going with this?" Papyrus asked earnestly.

"She's been lying to you! All this time! She didn't sneak on the airships, they've been her home from the get-go. You never spoke to Frisk, you've been speaking to Idona Neveaue, daughter of Earl Jonothan Neveaue! She has more money than any of us would ever hope to see!"

Sans couldn't believe what he was hearing. Frisk really wasn't a homeless, misguided child? Were they really rich and powerful and fake? Had they been lying this whole time? Why would they want to help people when they had everything? Sans couldn't understand. He looked over at Undyne and Papyrus, who looked as dismayed and confused as he was.

"But don't worry, dearie," the girl said, pulling out a syringe from a drawer. Sans didn't want to know what the liquid inside did. "After an injection of this, you'll be back at home safe and sound, with your mother, father and husband. It's nothing personal~"

"No!" Frisk shouted. "Do you know how hard I fought to escape that place? I spent years being beaten and abused, only for me to get sent back to spend the rest of my life with a man I don't even love? I'm fifteen, for Christ's sake! I'd rather die than go back!" As if to prove a point, Frisk spat in her face.

"Why you little brat!" the spider girl hissed. She bared her black mandibles at Frisk.

"I have a question," Sans said suddenly. "How did you know Frisk told us they snuck on the airships?"

"A little spider told me," she shrugged.

"So the spider on the diner wall was a spy," Frisk interjected.

"Yes!" the girl snapped. "Enough interruptions!" She grabbed Frisk's head, pinning it against the wall they were stuck to. It appeared their fighting spirit from earlier was completely absent, as Frisk couldn't do much but whimper. Sans knew it was game over, and Papyrus and Undyne knew, too. Their new friend of only a few days would be sent back to the airships, living a life they didn't want to live.

Frisk shook next to Sans, blinking back tears. In the past few days, they had grown closer to these three monsters than anyone else they had known in their life. They didn't want to let go. But Frisk didn't have a choice

Little to the spider girl's knowledge, a lone figure stood at the doorway, watching the whole scene unfold. They frowned, but that frown turned into a playful smirk. The figured it was time to intervene. He coughed, just to make his presence known.

Just as the syringe was about to puncture Frisk's neck, Sans heard footsteps from the warehouse entry. The spider monster's backup?

"Tut, tut, Muffet. Attacking the Royal Scientist's guests was not the wisest move. I thought we were all friends here?"

Muffet scowled. "Well this night just went from good to great," she muttered sarcastically. She whipped around. "What do you want, Mettaton? I'm busy."

"Picking up my friends here would be a great start, darling," He answered.

Muffet sighed. "You can have the monsters, but the human is mine. How's that?"

Mettaton started examining his (gloved) nails. "I don't think you heard me right, Muffet. I want my friends here. I consider all of them very close friends, even the human."

"What? That doesn't make sense. You've never even seen this human," Muffet argued.

"Traffic cams, darling. Now, I'm running on a tight schedule, so picking them up today would be marvelous."

"Don't sass me!" Muffet shouted. "The human is my job, so I get to keep the human!"

"How much gold did your client offer?"

Muffet scoffed. "If you really must know, 1o,000 G"

Mettaton snickered. "I'll double that offer for the human."

Muffet started cackling. "With what gold? That's probably more than you've seen in your life!"

"True, being a vigilante heartthrob is nice, but it doesn't exactly pay."

"But I meant it when I told you this was a bad choice, darling. These are guests of the royal scientist, and by extension, His and Her Majesty," Mettaton met the eyes of Muffet.

She sneered. "Do you think I care about them? The King and Queen are weak! They're pacifists! I'd rather be in good standing with the humans than them!"

"...So, you're refusing to hand all four over willingly?" Mettaton asked.

"Of course not!"

"Well, I guess that's how it is. This isn't personal, darling. I'm just following orders. Now!"

"Wha-!?" Muffet shrieked. Whatever she was about to say was drowned out by the blaring of music and flashing of bombs and electricity.

The thousands of spiders, disoriented by the chaos, scurried off their vibrating webs into the night. Now that Muffet's defense was gone, it was the perfect opportunity to escape. Undyne summoned a plethora of blue spears, and began sawing at the webs tying them down. Frisk looked over at Muffet, who was still distracted in taking on Mettaton and a mysterious newcomer. Any second and she would realize exactly what was going on.

"Frisk, come on!" Undyne shouted. They looked down and realized the severed webs had been lying at their feet for a few seconds now. They stood up and brushed themselves off. Sans took Frisk's hand and all four of them sprinted towards the exit, pushing through abnormally dense cobwebs.

They burst out of the warehouse, desperate for breath. Frisk was shaking, clutching onto Sans for dear life.

"If I ever see a spider again, it will be too soon," Undyne commented.

Frisk spun around. "What about-"

Undyne sighed. "Mettaton and Napstablook will be perfectly fine. They get into this type of trouble all the time."

As if on cue, the warehouse lit up with crackles and sparks, like someone had set off a bomb. The two robots came dashing out, somehow virtually unscathed.

"Well, I'd call tonight a dashing success!" Mettaton cheered as he came to a halt.

"Um… Didn't Alphys tell us to be… quiet…? Napstablook questioned.

"Probably, now let's go before Muffet decides just how determined she is for some extra pocket money," Mettaton waved away the question, and began to stride away down the street.

"Hey, wait!" Undyne snapped, catching up to Mettaton. "Alphys never told me you'd be playing rescue mission."

Mettaton threw on a pair of sunglasses, despite it being nighttime. "You never told Alphys you needed someone to play rescue. She only knew you were in danger because she has access to the traffic cams, darling."

As Mettaton and Undyne continued bickering, Frisk fell in next to Sans.

"That was, um, certainly something," Frisk said with an awkward chuckle. Sans kept moving.

"It was quite the 'sticky' situation, huh?" Frisk giggled hesitantly. Surprisingly, Sans held a straight face.

"So you lived on the airships, huh?" Sans finally spoke up. Frisk stopped walking.

"Are… are you upset?"

"I'm not mad, kid. But why didn't you tell us?" Sans turned around to face Frisk. His face fell when he saw them. They were dead in their tracks, eyes pooling with tears.

"Frisk…" Sans said.

"I- I'm a coward," Frisk whispered. "I lied to your face, and yet you aren't even mad?" They looked Sans in the eye. "You should hate me! I lied! Why aren't you disowning me? Beating me? Even just telling me how mad you are!"

"What? Of course we wouldn't do that," Sans said. "I'm not exactly one to talk about my past, either."

"I don't deserve this. I don't deserve any of you!" Frisk sobbed, collapsing against Sans in a fit of shaking. "Y-You were so good to me, and t-this is how I repay y-you? I'm such a b-bad person! You should hate me! I t-took your f-food, shelter, money even though I had plenty! I'm u-ungrateful, like my dad said! I keep putting you a-all in dangerous situations. J-just go on without me!" Violent sobbing wracked their small body. "I'll go h-home and face the consequences for my a-actions!"

They clutched onto Sans, like they thought he would disappear any second. Sans was never good at comforting people, but he tried his best. "Take deep breaths, okay?" he coaxed.

Despite the situation, Frisk started laughing. Not a funny kind of laugh, but the sad, lonely kind. The kind that shows just how hurt one _really_ is. "Don't you have anything better to do?" Frisk asked, staring straight into Sans' eyesockets.

"Not really," Sans shrugged.

The rest of the party, realizing what was going on, stopped and turned to Frisk.

"What are you talking about?" Papyrus frowned in concern. "You're the coolest human I know! Being from the airships is even cooler! You've had all of that godly pasta!"

"Yeah, punk! I was a bit suspicious at first, but you're a good person," Undyne coaxed, cracking her smile. "And nothing is going to change that."

"D-Do you really mean it?" Frisk asked, wiping away their tears. "Even though I c-can't stop being a liability, you s-still want me?"

"Come on, kiddo. If we really didn't care, we would have left you with Muffet," Sans assured.

Tears still falling freely from their eyes, Frisk hugged all three of them tightly, their quiet sobs the only sound to break the stillness of the night.

"What a beautiful display of friendship!" Mettaton clapped from the sidelines.

"Yeah…" Napstablook smiled just a tiny bit.

And there they stood, clutching each other tightly. That night, they had reached a consensus. They were a team, and that would never change.

* * *

"Are we almost there?" Frisk asked, quite a while after calming down.

"Almost. I must say, this is not the transportation I would have preferred, but it will have to do," Mettaton scoffed

"I'm surprised you didn't get a limo," Undyne muttered.

"That would have been nice," Papyrus said wistfully.

They had been walking for nearly an hour now. Frisk shivered, wishing for their parka. Frost had begun to settle on the buildings, glittering like diamonds from the full moon. Snow swirled in the gentle wind, kissing Frisk's skin. Of course, Papyrus, Sans, Mettaton and Napstablook didn't seem to mind, as they lacked skin. Undyne, however, was shaking up a storm.

Frisk was desperate for conversation. They eventually found themselves by the side of Napstablook, who had put a pair of white headphones on.

"Uh, hello!"

It took a while for Napstablook to notice that someone was attempting to make conversation. But at last, he noticed Frisk.

He took his headphones out. "Oh… hi."

Frisk gave him an encouraging smile. "So… what are you listening to?"

"Oh," Napstablook said, his straight face give the smallest hint of excitement. "Just some old dubstep… Wanna listen…?"

Frisk nodded, and Napstablook handed them the headphones. Frisk realized with a start that the headphones were plugged in to Napstablook's body, but they didn't say anything.

The music was surprisingly soft and slow, compared to Frisk's previous experiences with dubstep. It melded the soothing sounds of orchestra with the sharp, angular sounds of the dubstep.

"I really like it!" Frisk exclaimed, removing the headphones.

"Oh… that's good," Napstablook said, putting the headphones around his neck.

"Are you and Mettaton related?"

"Yeah, cousins… The only real reason I follow him around if so he doesn't get in trouble…" Napstablook glanced over at his cousin.

"You two seem really different," Frisk noted, watching Mettaton and Papyrus chatter away.

"Yeah…"

Frisk hummed to themselves, rubbing their arms for warmth. They looked up at the towering buildings, their light catching off the snowflakes and turning them into a shower of glittering beauty.

A blindingly white building came into view. "We're here, darlings!"

"Finally!" Undyne shouted. The six of them approached the door.

Instead of knocking, Mettaton practically kicked open the door, much to Frisk's surprise.

"Alphys, darling? We're home!" he called into the empty foyer. Frisk's jaw dropped when they saw the "decor". Endless anime posters were hung on the walls at random. Almost every surface was covered in beakers and empty mugs (at least they were cute). Blueprints were scattered across the floor. Some were torn or stained. Others weren't even in English, although the scribbly pink notes told Frisk they were being deciphered.

"Oh thank God!" A high pitched yet nervous voice called from the upstairs. "It's almost two in the morning! And I thought I warned you two not to make a scene."

"Sorry, darling! It's not exactly a quiet job!" Mettaton called.

"It's fi- Wait. IS UNDYNE WITH YOU?"

"Hi, Alphys!" Undyne called.

Alphys came sprinting down the stairs. "I'm so sorry I haven't cleaned up haven't showered done my makeup made dinn-"

"Alphys! It's okay!" Undyne chuckled at the lizard monster's antics. "I missed you too! Oh, hey, I got this at the market." Undyne produced a simple spinel necklace from her pocket. "Like it?"

Alphys clasped it around her neck. "U-Undyne! It's so pretty!"

Undyne blushed. "You said pink was your favorite color, so…"

A long period of silence followed, as the two were redder than beets. Just to make things a bit more awkward, Mettaton (robotically) coughed into his fist.

Finally, Alphys cleared her throat. "Let's have dinner, shall we?"

* * *

 **Aaaaand, that's a wrap! You know how I said I planned to update weekly, well forget that! I'm not a patient person, honestly. So I'll be posting chapters as soon as they're written! Also, the next chapter will be pretty filler (sorry). I'm trying to ease Alphys, Mettaton and Napstablook into the story, and not just throw them in. So I'm having a chapter that just talks mostly about them. Trust me, for what I want to do with chapter six, I need to focus more on these three characters. Have a nice night!**


	5. Past

"Frisk, wake up!" Undyne growled.

"Mmph, five more minutes, and then we can train," Frisk muttered.

"No. We have an emergency. Sans, Mettaton and I are going to investigate an attack in Las Vegas. I need you to stay here with Alphys, Papyrus and Napstablook.

"Why can't we all come?"

"Frisk, this is a serious attack. Every single human in the area was slaughtered. Whoever this criminal is, they target humans. We're all assuming they'll kill you on sight. Alphys is down in the control rooms. She'll be watching what goes down. If something happens to any of us, she'll bring in a drone for our retreat. Be good, okay?"

It had been about three weeks since the four of them had first arrived at Alphys' lab. While Sans seemed to constantly remind Alphys that staying had never been their intention, Alphys insisted on being hospitable.

Frisk had become accustomed to the strange mannerisms of the lab's inhabitants. They went shopping with Mettaton constantly, enjoyed listening to Napstablook's music, and never complained when Alphys wanted to binge an anime with them. The lab was starting to become home for Frisk. But they didn't like feeling trapped.

"Fine," Frisk muttered, disappointed to not be a part of the action. They followed Undyne downstairs to say goodbye to Sans and Mettaton.

Papyrus was hugging Sans tightly in the living room. "Please come back, okay?"

"I will," Sans promised. He cringed at how fake it sounded.

"Not just you!" Papyrus turned to Undyne and Mettaton. "I want to see you two back in one piece! Or else!"

"Papyrus, you sound like a mom," Undyne joked. Mettaton just smiled. It looked more like a grimace.

"I, The Great Papyrus, can be anything! Even a mom!" Papyrus cheered, standing on the table.

"H-heh, it looks like we're having a party in my k-kitchen," Alphys said, taking a seat. She was grinning, but she thought it looked plastic and unconvincing. Her eyes were still puffy from crying, and her voice and hands shook. Still, she kept a wide grin on her face. Sans sighed. He knew the feeling.

Soon, everyone had gathered around the table to eat breakfast. Papyrus and Alphys had collaborated to make a rather cute, "going-away" breakfast. While the gesture had obviously been an attempt at breaking the ice, everyone sat in uncomfortable silence. Frisk gulped. It felt like a funeral service.

"Okay," Undyne said, being the first to break the silence. "Let's talk business. We have almost no info on the target. Almost no one who has crossed their path has lived to tell the tale. All we know is that they leave the body of their victim at the scene. Tied down with vines. Their attacks are clean and calculated, almost always performed with a blade. The most puzzling thing is, these attacks have been going on for nearly seventy years, one attack a decade."

"Seventy years? That means this killer must be pretty old by now," Sans observed. "So, who do they target?"

"Almost every victim was a human. That's why we didn't want to bring you, Frisk. It could put you in unnecessary danger."

"But wouldn't having me draw the killer out?" Frisk questioned.

"We can't risk it, kid," Sans replied, taking a swig of coffee. "You still aren't the most experienced fighter. If you die, well, you're dead."

"Anyways, a group of officers in Napa have spotted the killer, and they decided we would be perfect for the job,unfortunately. We'll ambush them tonight" Undyne said. "Frisk, I want you to stay with Alphys, Napstablook and Papyrus. Alphys was granted permission to use the old traffic cameras to survey the fight. If something happens to us, you need to give every official, Protector and peacekeeper the go-ahead to kill this person on sight. Got it?"

Frisk was still disappointed. How could they be a Protector if they had no field experience. Nevertheless, they knew to take even the most extreme orders if they came from a higher-up. "Yes, Undyne!"

"Good," Undyne smiled. "We have a good forty minutes until the copter leaves. Let's eat!"

The rest of the breakfast was spent in light-hearted conversation. Sans and Undyne traded stupid jokes, and Alphys was gushing about a weird, Japanese cartoon to anyone who would listen. Mettaton and Papyrus shared overly-dramatic retellings of fights they've encountered. Napstablook continued to do his normal thing and listen to music in mopey silence. Everyone was trying so hard to forget about what lie ahead. But it hung over them like a fog. Every time one of them would bring it up, the entire table hushed to listen. It definitely dampened the mood.

"Welp," Undyne said after a while. "The craft should be entering the hangar soon. Any final goodbyes should be said now." Everyone shifted at the word "final".

Papyrus tackled Undyne and Sans, promising to make them a surplus of spaghetti when they got back. Mettaton squeezed Alphys and promised to tell her all about it when he got back.

"Please come back," Alphys whispered. "All of you."

"Don't worry, darling," Mettaton comforted. "Just think of it as a vacation." He let Alphys go and gently took his cousin's hand. "Take care of the place while I'm gone, okay? And don't worry about me, everything's gonna be fine."

"I'll try… please try to be safe, okay…? Napstablook pleaded, burying their face in Mettaton's shoulder.

"I promise," Mettaton smiled.

"Alright, alright! Sappy stuff over! We all promise we'll come back safe, yeah?" Undyne called. "We have to board in five minutes!"

"Hey, kid," Sans said, turning to Frisk. "You've been pretty quiet about all of this. What's up?"

"Sans," they said, "What should I do if you and Undyne don't come back."

"Don't worry kiddo," Sans grinned. "We'll be back.

Frisk let it go, but they did not believe him.

Frisk coughed as they received a faceful of smoke. The old aircraft lifted into the sky until it was the size of an ant.

"We don't have to stand up here, if you don't want to," Alphys commented.

"No," Frisk said. "I wanna watch them go."

"Well, they're gone," Alphys said, gazing into the sky. "Y-You're really fond of them, aren't you?"

"Well, they did give me a place to stay after nearly a year of desperate survival and almost no outside help."

"T-That reminds me," Alphys said. "If y-you're fine with me asking, I was w-wondering why you were all alone. Don't you have a family?"

"Yeah, I did. They weren't good people." Frisk scowled.

"Why?"

"They were elitist, bigoted and egocentric with nothing but wealth to care about. I ran away."

"O-Oh," Alphys replied awkwardly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"You know what? I do. But let's do that in the comfort of the kitchen, okay? No offense, but this hangar is really dusty."

Alphys sat Frisk down a the table with a cup of tea. She sat criss-cross in the chair across, slurping a bowl of instant noodles.

"Thanks, Alphys," Frisk said. "You're the lucky one that gets to know my super-secret, dark backstory. To be honest, I've never had to talk about this before. It feels good to get this all of my chest."

"O-Of course! I'm around whenever you need to talk." Alphys smiled. "So, whenever you're ready.

"Okay," Frisk said, "well, it all started when King Asgore and Queen Toriel came to visit…"

" _Idona! Get down here, you need to get ready for our dinner with the Royal Family!" the Maid shouted. Frisk groaned and set down their book. Normally, she was a tolerable person, but the Maid seemed especially annoying today. Maybe Frisk was just tired of seeing her too-pretty face everyday since they were three. They saw her more than their real parents. Not that they really wanted to see their parents._

" _Coming!" Frisk shouted a little too aggressively. They took a quick second to check themselves in the mirror. Their way-too-long hair was a total rat's nest. Good. Just for good measure, they ruffled it up, worsening the tangles._

" _Oh, dear! Your hair is dreadful, Idona!" the Maid gasped as Frisk came down the stairs._

" _Oh, well! I hate having it long. It gets all gross," Frisk said, pretending to be disgusted. "And for the millionth time, please call me Frisk!"_

" _We've had this discussion too many times. Your parents like your hair and your name, so they're not changing! It would embarass them!"_

" _Good," Frisk mumbled._

 _The Maid just sighed and set to work on the tangles. "For the record," she said after a while. "I think your real name is quite pretty!"_

" _It doesn't fit," Frisk said. "Why can't we choose our own names?"_

" _Because sometimes the world decides things for us, and we just have to accept those things!"_

" _Like the bomb? Like how a short seventy years ago, our kind ruined the lives of thousands of other humans and monsters and made a part of the country uninhabitable? And how instead of dealing with it like everyone else, we hide in the skies like cowards while people die below us? Kind of like that?"_

" _Honestly," the maid said,"You're very resentful about something that didn't even happen in your lifetime._

" _Are you blind?" Frisk suddenly exploded. "I see it on the news every day! The hate crimes, the poverty, the sadness. You and my parents can't shield me from that forever, you know!"_

" _Sit. down." the Maid stated. Frisk grunted, but returned to their stool. "If you cause a scene when the King and Queen get here, you'll be in very big trouble, Idona," the Maid chimed._

" _Fine, I won't do anything. I like them more than I like you, anyway," Frisk pouted._

 _The maid said nothing and resumed her work on Frisk's hair. She brushed, sprayed, curled and pinned until she was satisfied. "Alright!" she chirped. "Let's put your dress on! After that,we'll do makeup!"_

 _She pulled the dress out of Frisk's closet and hung it up. The maid picked up a small corset and hoop skirt from Frisk's trunk. Frisk had no idea how their family had all of these petty belongings. In a post-apocalyptic situation, Frisk had assumed that most people would only have the basic necessities to survive. Of course, they weren't most people._

 _The Maid cinched their corset as tight as it would possibly go. Frisk had always been thankful for being a flat-chested person, otherwise this would be so much more painful. The maid wrapped the hoop skirt around Frisk's waist and pulled the dress over their head._

" _You look so pretty!" the Maid squealed. "Time for makeup!"_

 _Makeup luckily didn't take long. All Frisk needed was some blusher, lipstick and mascara. This was done fairly quickly, and the Maid led them to a floor mirror in the corner of their room._

" _What do you think?" she asked._

 _Frisk couldn't even recognize themselves in the mirror. Their long, brown hair was curled and pinned up with pearl pins. Frisk knew the pins were antiques, remnants of the Old World due to their wear. They wore a frilly, pink dress with an elegant string of Old pearls. Due to the mascara, their eyes looked unusually big and sparkly, like those weird Japanese cartoons Frisk watched in secret. Their olive skin had been brushed with a foundation that made them paler and fairer. It really accented the bright pink blush on their cheekbones. Honestly,it made Frisk feel too doll-like and girly. They didn't like it one bit._

" _It's… great," they forced themselves to smile and turned to the Maid. "Anything else?"_

" _No, but your someone want to inspect you. Meet them in the parlor."_

" _Of course," Frisk gritted their teeth in anxiety. Inspection was the worst. "I'll be right there."_

 _The parlor had once been a place for games and lively conversation as a child, but now, Frisk only felt contempt for the place. They almost never entered, unless they were to be inspected. Frisk had associated as a place where abuse lived. They hoped to never go there again. But their they were._

 _Frisk's mother and father stood off to the side, watching Frisk and their companion carefully. "Idona," Frisk's mother said. "This is Duke Wesley, he is from Airship 72. He wishes to be your husband. He will be staying the night with us, but he has opted out of dinner."_

" _Of course," Wesley said. "After all, I can't stand to be around demons. But enough of the little talk. I want to see you."_

 _Frisk could already tell they didn't like him. They never liked their potential husbands. Wesley was rather short with a smug grin on his face. His green eyes travelled up and down Frisk's body. They felt like prey._

 _Wesley swaggered up to Frisk and begin feeling all around their body, He squeezed at Frisk's stomach, frowning a little._

" _The corset hides it well enough, but I can feel some fat."_

" _I assure you!" Frisk's father said. "We keep her very fit! She exercises once a day!"_

" _Hmm," Wesley said, clearly not impressed. "Well, darling, may I continue?" He kept going. Frisk hadn't said anything. His hands reached up her dress to feel her calves. Luckily he didn't go further than that._

" _What? I have to save some things for when we get married," He smirked at Frisk, winking. Frisk made no reaction. If they did, Wesley had full permission to beat them._

 _Frisk cringed as Wesley's hands travelled up their hips. They knew exactly what would come next. Luckily, Wesley skipped that part. He continued his examination._

" _Well, Mr. and Mrs. Nevaue, it's perfect! She's quiet and obedient, and quite easy on the eyes. Not to mention she seems like a lot of fun. I'll take her!" Wesley said. Frisk wanted to throw up. All of the previous ones found better brides. But they knew there was no getting out of this one._

" _Perfect!" Mr. Nevaue exclaimed. "Normally, we'd ask for something in return, but you're quite the charmer. Keep her!"_

" _Perfect. I'll arrange a wedding immediately. I expect to see her in my room by 11 tonight, sharp. We'll depart for 72 tomorrow."_

 _Frisk bit their lip. They didn't want any of this. They wanted to stop it. They knew there was no point, but they had to try. Even if it killed them. They felt powerful. They felt_ determined.

" _No," they whispered._

" _I'm sorry, what was that?" Wesley growled in their ear._

" _You heard me, I said_ no _! I want to marry someone I love, and I don't. love. you!" Frisk shouted, ripping pins out of their hair in frustration._

 _Wesley smirked. "Maybe this will change your mind."_

 _Before Frisk could do anything, Wesley's lips smashed against theirs. He pinned them to the wall. Frisk couldn't move. Couldn't think. All they could do was kiss back. They hated it._

 _Wesley's fingers travelled up and down their body. He was trying to seduce them, use cheap thrills to make them love him. They didn't want to give in._

" _Wait. Are you rewarding her disobedience?" Frisk's father asked, appalled. Wesley stopped and turned to him._

" _Yes. Is that a problem? Last I checked, she's my fiancee now."_

" _I'll take it from here, Wesley," Frisk's father said._

 _Wesley looked about to retort, but he just shrugged and backed away. "Sure. Just don't hurt that pretty face too much," with that, he strode out of the parlor._

 _With Wesley out of the way, Frisk's father turned to face them. "Look what you did. You should be ashamed of yourself. Marrying into the Prescott line would have saved our fortune. You ruined this ruined it!" Their father slammed them against the wall and slapped Frisk across the face. "You are a disgrace, Idona! You need to learn how to be an obedient wife!"_

" _I should have the freedom to marry whom I choose!" Frisk protested, kneeing their father in the ribs._

" _A woman's job is to follow a man's orders!" their Father screamed. "If they tell you to do something, you do it! You should be whipped for your disobedience!"_

 _Frisk looked over desperately at their mother, hoping she would do something. But she didn't. She stood tall and still, watching everything happen without the slightest reaction. Of course she didn't care about her only child. All she saw was an item._

 _Frisk's father gripped his hands on their throat, squeezing tightly. Their vision went blurry as their heart beat like a drum. This was it. They were going to die, and no one would care. They wanted someone to help. But they knew nobody would come._

" _Oh, my! What seems to be the problem?" A rumbling voice chimed from the door. Frisk fell to the ground, gasping for air, and followed their parent's gazes._

 _There was a tall, goat-like monster standing in the doorway, shocked. He wore stunning, shining armor with adorned with the Crest of Monsters. A purple cape decorated his shoulders. Atop his head sat a shiny, golden crown. Frisk didn't need to put two and two together to knwothat he was the King of All Monsters. The other monster at his side rushed over to Frisk. She wore a lacy purple dress with strings of pearls tying at her waist. She, too, wore a crown between her fuzzy ears._

" _My child, everything will be okay," she soothed. "Take deep breaths."_

 _She looked up at Frisk's father. "Why would you do this? This is a child you're child!"_

" _She was being disobedient!" He retorted._

" _So that is an excuse to nearly kill and innocent child?" Toriel gasped. "For being disobedient?"_

" _Do not tell me how to discipline my family,_ demon _," their Father snarled._

" _Jonothan, maybe she's r-" Frisk's mother began._

" _Quiet," Jonothan turned and jabbed Frisk's mother square in the eye. "Unless you want the same treatment!"_

 _Now that Asgore and Toriel looked closer, they could see bruises and cuts on the mother, as well._

" _That's it," Toriel said, picking Frisk's weak body up. "We're taking this child into a loving household. Obviously you can't take care of them properly."_

" _You can't take our child!" Frisk's mother shouted._

" _Watch us," Toriel snarled surprisingly ferociously. "And the dinner's off!" The front door slammed, leaving behind two very shocked parents._

" _Do not worry, my child," Toriel said as she healed Frisk. "Everything will be okay."_

 _Frisk didn't doubt her for a second._

"F-Frisk," Alphys stuttered as they finished their story. Her eyes were wet with tears.

"No, don't cry!" Frisk said. "I'm okay now."

Even though Alphys wasn't the most physical person, she wrapped Frisk in a tight hug.

"Alphys…" Frisk said, their voice cracking. "You… you're gonna make me cry again."

"I-I know what it feels like to hide your feelings," Alphys sniffled. "I'm happy you came to me. Thank you for trusting me."

Frisk smiled. They liked this feeling. It felt warm and safe. They felt like they were… home.

"You know," Alphys said. "Toriel and Asgore lost their two kids a long time ago. On the same day, too. I wasn't around then, but I heard Asgore got really angry. He wanted another war with humanity. Only a few weeks later, the bomb went off," Alphys said.

"They told me about Chara and Asriel," Frisk replied. "Apparently they were really good kids. Chara wanted to join the Royal Guard, so they could protect Asriel."

They sat in silence. Both of them knew what had happened to Asriel. He had to cross explicitly human territory with Chara, and before he could explain that he was the Prince, the guards shot him dead. They never found his dust. Chara just disappeared, never to be seen again. Shortly after, the bomb exploded, destroying society. Asgore and Toriel had spent their newfound immortality helping other world leaders build the shaky civilization that everyone currently survived in. So much of it was left a mystery, that most monsters and humans dropped it and tried to live their lives.

"Hey," Alphys said. "The aircraft should be landing shortly. We should head down to the control rooms and watch the cameras."

"What about Papyrus and Napstablook?" Frisk asked.

"Napstablook is probably upstairs listening to music, and Papyrus might join us later," Alphys said.

The control room were obviously not often used. A thick layer of dust covered nearly everything except the large workbench in the center of the room. Frisk took a short moment to look at the blueprints scattered across its surface. Some were written by Alphys, due to her cute and scrawled handwriting, plus the hearts, emoticons and the name "Undyne" littered across the papers. Others were written in a much neater handwriting consisting of symbols and gibberish. While Frisk thought the machines drawn on them were curious and quite sinister, they kept moving to the back of the room, where Alphys was waiting. Behind her was a large screen with a fissure through the middle. Stacked randomly around it were DVD cases for various cartoons and anime. Two well-worn beanbag chairs sat in front of the monitor.

Alphys plopped down in one, and Frisk did the same. "I'm warning you, Frisk. W-We might have to deal with something really bad, okay? And i-if that happens, I need you to call any law enforcement, okay? This is a very dangerous killer, and a-anything could happen."

"I promise." Frisk said earnestly.

"Okay, here we go," Alphys muttered, and switched on the television.

* * *

 **Honestly, I'm not too proud of this chapter. It was actually one of the first chapters I wrote (That's why I updated so fast, because this chapter only needed some minor editing) Anyways, I'm gonna try my hardest to not rush the next chapter. I plan to make it a pivoting point in the whole story. The last five chapters have been set-up, this is where the _real_ story begins. Ciao!**


	6. Fell

_Sans had been here many times before. The bleak grayness, the towering piles of rubble. He looked down at his bony hands. The fingerbones were whiter, smaller, softer. Sans was a child again._

" _Papyrus?" he called, surprised at the squeakiness of his voice. Sans glanced around, looking for a trace of his brother. He heard the whistling of the wind, and the rustle of the shrubs, but Sans heard no response._

" _Papyrus?" Sans yelled again, concern pooling in his chest. "We're having spaghetti for dinner!"_

 _He frowned. Normally, that would always catch his brother's attention. Still nothing._

" _Papyrus! I'm not playing games!" Sans shouted with fear. He spun around in all directions, desperate to find a glimpse of Papyrus' red scarf. All Sans could see was the bleak gray and the endless ruin._

 _Sans did the only thing that made sense. He began jogging, scrambling over the immense piles of rubber, desperate to find his brother. He called and screamed, but to no avail._

" _Papyrus…" Sans cried, digging his finger bones into the shrapnel. Tiny bits of metal and plastic left notches and dents in his bones, but that didn't matter. "Why do you always leave?"_

" _...Looking for this?" a melodic voice hummed through the mist._

 _Sans' head snapped up. "Who's there?"_

 _The voice chuckled. It sent a chill down Sans' spine. "You never remember me. Can't you do a solid for your best partner?"_

 _A silhouette stepped from the shadows, revealing themselves. They were short and skinny, no larger than a child. They had the fairest skin Sans had ever seen, with a rosy glow to decorate their cheeks. Short, straight brown locks framed their round and youthful face with large crimson eyes. The child wore a ratty, oversized green and yellow sweater. The ghost of a smile graced their lips._

 _Sans shivered as his eyesockets fell to the child's hands. In their right hand, they clutched a carving knife. The minimal light reflected off the steel, giving the weapon an eerie glow. The the left hand, Papyrus' red scarf, ripped and covered in a dusty residue._

" _What. Did. You. Do," Sans hissed, feeling his eye ignite._

 _The child's eyebrows raised, and they threw their hands up in feigned innocence. "No need to get sassy, Chuckles," they smiled slyly._

 _Sans screamed and grabbed the child by the neck of their sweater. "You killed him!" he accused._

" _Relax," the kid shrugged, their grin widening. "Your brother isn't the one dying tonight."_

" _What does that mean?" Sans growled._

 _The child smirked. "You'll see. It's only a matter of time."_

* * *

Sans snapped awake. Heart racing, he glanced around at his surroundings. Undyne was tapping her fingers on her armrests, muttering about how slow this was going. The air reeked of dust, and all of the seats were moth-eaten.

Right. The airship.

"How much longer 'till we land?" Sans asked, his voice thick with grogginess.

"About half an hour," Undyne returned. Sans looked out the window. While it was still light, there were just the faintest hints of gold to prelude the twilight.

"How long was I out?" Sans asked.

"About three hours. You look dreadful, by the way," Mettaton murmured from across the room.

"Well aren't you the ray of sunshine," Sans retorted. He glanced at Undyne, who shrugged nonchalantly.

He got up and plopped down next to the robot. "Alright, showstopper. What's up?" Sans asked.

Mettaton glanced at Sans. He smiled. "Nothing's wrong, darling!" He said in the most sticky-sweet tone.

"Bull," Sans said bluntly. "Something's up."

Mettaton's smile wavered. "Everything. Is. Fine," he assured through clenched teeth.

"It's Alphys, isn't it?"

Mettaton frowned. "What about Alphys?"

Sans sighed. "You're worried about her."

Mettaton chuckled. But it wasn't his normal, sly laugh. This was dry and bitter. "I'm terrified, sweety."

"Any reason why?"

Mettaton took off his gloves and ran his sharp nails through his hair. "A while ago," he said. "My battery died while I was out. Alphys told me she was terrified. She thought I was long gone. I was worried. I never thought I mattered any more than her other experiments. But after that day, she's been really paranoid about my well-being. Alphys tells me she couldn't live with herself if she knew something had happened to me."

He buried his face into his hands. "I'm scared she'll do something stupid if I don't come back. And Blooky, I can't leave them behind. I'm so terrified that I won't come back from this," Mettaton said. "Sorry. It's nothing."

"No," Sans said. "You're right, we might never come back from this. Obviously, we're facing something big. And yeah, it's terrifying. But we can't let that get in the way. If we die, at least we're dying for something good, right?" Sans replied.

Mettaton laughed. "The way we're talking, you'd think we'd be marching towards our deaths."

"Yeah," Sans said, gazing out the window as the Earth came closer and closer.

He really hoped that wasn't the case.

* * *

"Alright, cupcakes!" Undyne yelled as soon as they touched down. "Keep your eyes out! Let's move!"

The three of them scurried through the shadows, careful not to cause too much of a fuss. Sans tried not to look at the things peeking from the corner of his eyes. Citizens scrambled through the rubble, fighting over scraps of food. Dogs prowled in the dark, whining with hunger as they searched for anything of use. A barely-intact jam cam followed their every move. Sans hoped it was Alphys.

Every so often, Sans would turn around to scan the area behind him, and he would catch a flash of gold. It never stayed long enough for Sans to deduce what it was. He feared the worst: they were being trailed.

His suspicions peaked when Undyne's walkie-talkie crackled. Sans tensed. They agreed it was only for emergencies.

"Get out of there!" Alphys cried through the walkie-talkie. "This mystery killer isn't just dangerous, they're-!"

Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by a violent snapping from all directions. A thick, gray substance filled the air. Sans coughed, waving the smoke away from his tightly shut eyes.

His nonexistent heart skipped a beat when opened his eyes. The fog. The red twilight. The sea of ruin.

Sans was living his own worst nightmare.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" The melodic voice chimed through the mist.

"Stay together!" Undyne commanded. Sans scrambled to reconvene with Mettaton and Undyne.

"Bet you missed this place, huh?" a voice called. Sans stopped. This wasn't the same person. This new voice was much raspier and high-pitched.

Two figures emerged. The first matched Sans' dream to a queue, but the second…

The other voice belonged to a large, gold buttercup.

"Excellent work as always, Chara!" The buttercup smiled, turning its face to the human.

Chara's vacant grin widened. They ran the tip of their finger gently down the carving knife. "One more, and you'll bring him back? A promise _is_ a promise, right, Flowey?"

Flowey's grin widened. "We've been working up to this for seventy years! I'd be evil to not give him back!"

Sans took a step back. "You're…"

Everyone knew the name Chara. The adopted child of the King and Queen. Vanished seventy years ago without a trace. While everyone knew what happened to Asriel, Chara was a total mystery. Until now. Sans didn't even know what to say. How were they still alive? And for that matter, how were they still a child?

Undyne's grip tightened on her spear. "You…" she breathed. She lunged at Chara, who sidestepped with ease. "You took so many lives! You took my eye! My job! My friends!" Undyne screamed, throwing spear after spear in Chara's direction. They dodged all.

Undyne cried in frustration, launching a bullet-fast spear at Chara's side.

Chara tried to jump out of the way, but the spear was far too fast. It cut through their side like butter. Chara stared down at the crimson soiling their sweater. "What a shame," they mused, pulling the spear out of their hip. They tossed it to the side, where it promptly shattered against the garbage.

Chara sighed in relief as they felt their skin and flesh mend back together, their skin and soft and young as it has been for decades. They felt the chill of their own blood vanish.

"What?" Undyne said, mouth dropped open. Chara was unharmed. Their wound was gone. Their sweater had been restored to its forest green. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened.

"That feels so much better," Chara purred, massaging their side.

"So, what's the plan?" Mettaton asked, readying his arm cannon.

"We wait," Undyne said. "And then we fight."

Sans grinned, his eye enveloped in a soft blue glow. "Perfect plan."

The three of them rushed at Chara from all direction. "Oh?" they grinned. "Maybe the three of you can put up a decent fight."

Sans sent a blast of energy at the child. When the blast dissipated, Chara stood unharmed. Undyne sent a wall of spears flying at them. Not a single one touched them. Mettaton launched a volley of bombs at Chara. They sidestepped.

"Why aren't they dead?" Undyne hissed.

Chara walked forward. "You don't get it, do you?" They said. "You physically can't kill me. I'll keep resetting and resetting until you fall dead at my feet."

"It's no matter," They chuckled. "It just makes it for fun to kill you."

"I don't understand," Mettaton said. "I thought you only targetted humans."

"Oh," Chara drawled. "I only _need_ humans. I target anything in my way."

Without any warning, Chara dashed at Undyne, who dodged narrowly. Undyne grinned and sent spear after spear at Chara. They smiled.

"You'll have to do _waay_ better than that," They laughed. Undyne, still in shock at her failure to land a hit, didn't see Chara's knife coming straight for her stomach. Chara sliced the stitching open, digging their knife even deeper into the wound.

"Undyne!" Sans and Mettaton both rushed forward.

"Flowey," Chara called, "Entertain them until I'm ready."

The two monsters skid to a halt when the flower popped up in front of them. "Howdy," he drawled, his voice dripping with poison. Hot, sharp bullets materialized in a ring around them. "Oh," he purred, "This is going to be so much fun."

Mettaton grabbed Sans and leapt through a gap in the bullets. "Keep going!" Sans shouted. They both focused on dodging the strange bullets. Mettaton leapt around with the agility of a cat, while Sans took to using his shortcuts.

"Flowey!" Chara snapped. "Tie them up. I want them to see their fate."

Flowey frowned, but quickly changed it to a sly smile. "Of course," he replied. Sans gasped as green vines wrapped around his torso, gripping him tightly. He looked over to see that Mettaton was in a similar situation.

The two of them turned their heads to where Chara and Undyne were fighting. Sans cringed when he saw how quickly the fight had escalated.

Undyne was struggling to stand. Her knees quaked, and she stumbled as she walked. Countless cuts and bruises decorated her skin. Despite all this, her eyes still held a fiery determination. She struggled to stand. She fell.

"You… it's my sworn duty to protect the innocent, be it humans or monsters," she said. "I won't let you hurt anyone else, I won't let it be like last time."

"That's funny," Chara said, "Because you don't have a choice." Chara drove their foot into Undyne's chest, throwing her back down. Undyne gasped in pain. Her whole body quivered.

"No!" she cried. "I won't go down like this!" She stood up, her body still shaking. "I'll show you! I'll show just how much determination _I_ have!" Undyne sprinted at the human, her spear glinting in the hazy dusk.

Chara merely held their knife out, slicing through Undyne's body like butter. "And yet," they mused. "I'll always have more."

Undyne turned to dust before she even hit the ground.

"No!" Sans yelled, ripping at the vines. He felt useless. Undyne had just died before him, and he couldn't even do anything.

"Sans," Mettaton said, his voice drained of all energy. "My battery is low."

"What does that mean?!" Sans hissed.

Mettaton wiped away a single tear and let out a sad chuckle. "It means I'm going to die."

"What?" Sans asked earnestly.

"In a few moments, I'm going to lose consciousness. After that, I'm positive Chara will kill me."

"...Oh," Sans replied.

Mettaton somehow wriggled free from Flowey's trap. "If I'm going to die, I'm going out _absolutely beautiful_."

He aimed a blast straight for Chara with his arm cannon. They turned around.

"Flowey," Chara frowned. "You really suck at holding two monsters captive."

"You suck," Flowey muttered, but tightened his grip on Sans.

"You really have a lot of nerve, coming at me like that," Chara hissed, lunging at Mettaton. Their blade left a shallow gouge in his arm, exposing his wires and steel skeleton. Mettaton winced in pain. "When you _know_ I'm going to kill you!"

Mettaton drop-kicked Chara in the face. "I know I'm going to die, one way or another," he confirmed. "But the question is: what do I plan to do with the two minutes and thirty-three seconds I have left?"

"Oh? And what's that?" Chara asked, slashing with the speed of lightning.

Mettaton could feel the last tear he would ever shed fall to his chin. "Making the years I've been alive worth it."

He aimed a punch straight into Chara's gut, causing them to gasp in pain. Their eyes lit up in malice and hunger as they drifted down to his stomach.

The spot where he kept his soul.

Chara let out a guttural laugh as they lodged their blade into the center of his soul. Mettaton felt the world crash around him as his very being shattered. While his robot body would never to turn to dust, something much more integral was dying very painfully.

"At least," he sighed. "I… got one worthwhile hit. See, Alphys? I did something… worthwhile,"

He fell to the ground, the capsule on his navel completely empty.

"And then there was one," Chara chirped, their voice full of a sickening cheeriness. "Isn't that right, Sans?"

Instead of turning around, Chara looked straight up, where Sans stood, looking on in horror.

"Nifty trick, those shortcuts," Chara commented.

"Why? Why did you kill them? Why did you kill the six humans? Why are you haunting my dreams?" Sans demanded.

For the most brief moment, Chara looked down in shame, their eyes filled with tears. "I just wanna bring him back," they whispered.

Their head quickly snapped up, their eyes full of malevolence. "You're in my way! All of you! Can't you see that?" Chara screamed. They made a mad dash for Sans, who shot a patch of bones from the ground, impaling the child.

"I want him back!" they screamed, hot, red blood pouring from their mouth. Their body shook from the pain as they writhed on the bones. "I need to kill! It's the only way!" they cried. They panted as blood poured from their wounds. Chara pried themselves off the bones and limped towards Sans in a fit of mad desperation.

Sans summoned a blaster and aimed it at Chara, who wasn't even paying attention to their current state. They shrieked as the fiery energy burnt all of their skin. When the blast dissipated, whole parts of their skin was gone, exposing muscle and flesh. Blood had run into their eyes, forcing them to be closed.

And yet, they kept dragging themselves towards Sans. They managed to swing at him once, which he easily dodged, until they fell dead.

Chara's body lay there for almost a whole minute, and Sans thought it was finally over. But eventually, their skin started to mend until it was good as new. They stood up.

"I'm not done yet! Stop interrupting me!" They screamed. They jabbed at Sans nearly fifteen times, and he ducked fifteen times. He summoned bone after bone, which Chara avoided, until a surprise one came and broke their leg.

Chara fell to the ground, taking a quick swipe at Sans on the way down. Their leg looked grotesque. Fleshy strands of skin dangled around, and the bloodied white of their femur was visible. They wailed in pain as the leg mended itself.

They stood up, tears of bitterness and hurt welling up in their clenched their teeth, gripping their knife like their life depended on it.

It was in that moment, Sans understood Chara perfectly. They weren't evil. They were sick. They had been corrupted by the cruelty of the world, just like Sans. That sent chills down his back. They were _just_ like him. One wrong step, and Sans could've ended up like the small, sick human before him.

"Asriel," Chara wailed. "I'm coming, okay? We'll get to go home! I bet you miss Mom and Dad!" They sobbed, hugging themselves.

"Kid," Sans said, taking a step towards Chara. They looked up at him, and then down at their blade.

"I'm sorry," they whispered, barely audible.

Sans wasn't even surprised when the blade tore through his ribs. His emergency ketchup bottle he stored in his ribs made a squelching sound as it was sliced open.

"Guess that's how it is," Sans managed a weak shrug. "I'd stay longer, but I gotta 'split'."

He was quiet for a few moments. "Sorry, Pap," he said finally. "Guess we couldn't keep that promise, huh?"

He dusted, leaving Chara alone with their thoughts. They, honestly, had no idea what to feel. Their quest to save their brother had left them rather apathetic to their sins. But for the first time in a long time, Chara felt _guilty_.

"Flowey, I'm lonely," they said absently.

"I know, Chara. But think about it! You'll get your brother back!" Flowey cheered. His voice took on a more sinister tone. "But remember, it's _kill_ or be _killed_. Had you spared those monsters their lives, they would have killed us anyway."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Chara said cautiously.

"I know," Flowey replied.

They set off to find their seventh soul.

* * *

"No!" Frisk shouted, banging their fists on the table. They looked over at Alphys, who had her face in her hands. She had been whimpering for the last half hour.

"I'm so sorry…" she cried.

"No! No no no!" Frisk screamed. "They can't be dead!" Frisk slammed their head onto the table, vaguely aware of the bloody nose it caused. They could feel the panic sinking in as their breath hitched. It grew faster and faster until they were in a fit of sobbing and hyperventilation. They hugged themselves tightly.

"Not this!" Frisk shrieked. "I want to save them! I can save them! Just let me save them, dammit!"

"Frisk? What's going on?" Alphys asked.

"What do you think is going on?" Frisk shouted, tight in her embrace.

She hadn't been hugging them before.

Confused, Frisk opened their eyes, and nearly fell over from the shock. They were still hugging on the dining room table.

And it was midday.


	7. Bound

Sans' heart raced as he blinked out of the airship. He had to act fast. Very fast.

So he didn't die again. Sans had no idea what happened. He felt himself die. He was _sure_ he died. Yet, he still woke upon the airship, exactly the same time that he woke up from his dream.

The only thing Sans knew is that it had something to do with Frisk. He had been studying the nature of human souls since he was six, and Sans knew that Frisk had a very unique soul. It carried the same substance that made Chara nearly invincible.

Determination. Sans didn't know as much as Alphys on the substance, but he knew enough of it gave a human the ability to reset anything. Sans had a suspicion that Frisk had reset everything.

He landed in the dining room of the lab, the room he had the strongest connection to. Frisk and Alphys were embracing each other tightly as they sobbed quietly into Alphys' shoulder. Sans cleared his throat awkwardly.

Frisk looked up, wiping away their tears. "Sans?" they asked. "How are you alive?"

The room fell silent. Alphys looked confused. Frisk was shocked. Sans didn't know what to say.

"What do ya mean, kiddo? I may be a skeleton, but I'm pretty sure I'm alive," Sans feigned innocence. Frisk didn't buy it.

"Hey, so," Sans started, rubbing his fingers on cervical vertebrae ( **It's the part of the spine where the neck is** ) "I changed my mind about the whole thing. You should come, y' know, like for experience."

"Uhhh, okay?" Frisk said, phrasing is more like a question. "Alphys, are you coming?"

"O-Oh, no! I'll stay," Alphys said. "Someone needs to stay to survey the footage."

Sans shrugged. "Suit yourself. C'mon Frisk, I know a shortcut."

Frisk reluctantly took Sans' hand and felt the world disappear around them. They were vaguely aware of Alphys stuttering a goodbye, but Frisk was gone before they could reply.

"What did I do, Sans?" Frisk asked, looking up at the skeleton.

"I don't know, Frisk. What _did_ you do?" Sans replied.

"I- I don't know. It was night, and you died. I panicked, and suddenly I was back to a few hours before," Frisk admitted.

Sans didn't say anything for a few seconds. "The others don't know," he eventually blurted. "They have no idea that they died."

"So you really did die? Mettaton and Undyne, too?" Frisk asked.

"Yeah," Sans choked out. "We did."

Frisk felt their feet touch solid ground as the world reanimated around them. They clenched and unclenched their fists, letting hot, wet tears fall to the ground.

"You won't die again," Frisk whispered.

"What did you say, punk?" Frisk's head snapped up when they heard Undyne's voice.

"N-Nothing!" Frisk yelped, quickly wiping away their tears.

Undyne frowned. "What are you even doing here? I thought I said it was too dangerous."

Sans sighed. "I figured they could get some field experience. It's no big deal, really."

Undyne cocked an eyebrow. "Whatever you say."

* * *

They spent the remainder of the time planning the attack. "Instead of defending ourselves, we should take the ball into their court," Undyne said.

"Yeah," Sans agreed. "When they attack, we need to be prepared as possible. Undyne and I will go on the front lines. Mettaton, you'll need to preserve your battery. Refrain from combat unless it's an emergency. You too, Frisk. Stay away from the worst of the fight."

"Sure," Frisk shrugged.

"And another thing," Sans said. "I've done, um, 'research' on our target, and they have an accomplice."

"An accomplice?" Mettaton asked.

"Yeah," Sans said. "Whatever you do, don't let them catch you."

"Umm, okay?" Undyne responded. She looked out the window. "We'll be landing soon."

"Hey, guys?" Frisk asked. Everyone turned to look at them. "I just wanna say: thanks. I know I can be inconvenient, but thank you for giving me a family."

Frisk shared a look with Sans. He knew it, too. That they were going to die.

At least they would die together.

* * *

Frisk's little heart pounded as they stepped out of the ship. Chara was watching them already. They could feel the bloodlust radiating. Chara wanted their soul.

"Sans," Frisk whispered. "I'm staying away from the destruction path."

"Good idea," Sans said back. Frisk scrambled off to hide in the shadows.

Sans felt himself tense, knowing what was lurking. Every step he took sounded too loud, he cringed as his foot hit a metal can, which popped loudly.

The trio prowled through the twilight, glancing around in every direction. Sans knew Flowey was periodically checking on them, but he didn't ever look back. Sans didn't want Chara to know that he remembered.

"Stop," Sans whispered, coming to a halt in the same clearing.

"What for?" Undyne asked.

Sans began to sweat. "I thought I heard-"

 _Snap._ Dense, smoky fog filled the chilly air. Sans had no arm hair, but he thought he felt goosebumps rise up on his bones.

Chara had found them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Frisk watched from a distance, just within earshot. Their blood turned cold when the list crept in, obscuring their view.

"Impressive," they heard Chara say. "It seems someone managed to reset. It was a sloppy job, really. But, I will still have to kill you again."

"Chara, you idiot!" Flowey hissed. "Don't you see? Whoever reset has enough determination to finish our job! Prioritize them, not these morsels."

"Don't tell me things I already know, Flowey," Chara returned. "I'll find the human that reset after I deal with these 'morsels', as you call them. Got it?"

"You're outnumbered!" Mettaton spat. "You'd be wise to surrender."

"Oh?" Chara thought. "Let's see about that."

Chara slid towards Mettaton, knowing that, with a low battery, he was an easy target. But Mettaton lept into the shadows to begin circling the fight.

Undyne stepped in, parrying a blow from Chara while Sans took care of Flowey. Chara glanced at the skeleton, hoping to overwhelm him, until Undyne left-hooked them.

"You're dealing with me!" Undyne snapped.

"I guess I am," Chara grinned, wiping blood from their nose. They charged at Undyne, who sidestepped and threw her knee into Chara's back. They tumbled forward, but caught themselves and swiped at Undyne, leaving a shallow cut in her scales.

While Chara was distracted with Undyne, Mettaton pulled off his gloves, revealing his rather sharp nails. He darted in and ripped at Chara's back, only to jump out of the battlefield before they even turned around.

"Dammit!" Chara yelled. They turned and landed a roundhouse kick to Undyne's gut, reopening her wound. Undyne yelped and staggered. Chara licked their lips and drove the shocked Undyne to the ground.

"You. Can't. Beat. ME!" Chara yelled, pushing their knife towards Undyne's chest, despite the fish monster grappling their wrist. Eventually Undyne's grip loosened as she wore out, panting.

"See," Chara mused. "No matter how many times you try, you'll-"

Their words were cut short when Frisk barreled into Chara, knocking them off Undyne.

"I won't let you kill my friends again!" Frisk hissed.

Chara wriggled free and stood, laughing maniacally. "So. You're the one."

Frisk's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Chara's laugh subsided, replaced with a much more serious expression. "You're the one standing in the way between me and my brother!" Chara screamed, lunging Frisk. They hacked and slashed like a madman, and Frisk's muscles screamed as they dodged. They blocked Chara's knife with their own dagger.

Chara stopped when they saw the dagger. Their eyes filled with hot tears. "That's… not yours…" they whispered.

Chara went rigid. Their big, round eyes narrowing into slits. "I'll kill you!" they threw their knife at Frisk, eyes full of desperation and bloodlust.

"I'm coming, Asriel!" they cried, advancing towards Frisk with their blade hand outstretched.

Chara swung at Frisk's chest, giving them no time to dodge. The knife sliced through Frisk's cowl, ripping their skin. Frisk cried out and fell to their knees.

"You're all beneath me! I will destroy every single one of you!" Chara shouted, their crazed eyes twitching.

Frisk looked up. They rose to their feet, drops of blood spilling to the ground. They gazed into Chara's jaded eyes. Behind the madness and desperation, Frisk saw something.

They saw innocence. Underneath Chara's bloodthirsty shell was a sad and scared child. All they wanted was their brother. Beneath that soulless exterior, the real Chara hid, isolated and alone.

Frisk did the last thing anyone would have expected. They dropped their dagger. "You're wrong," Frisk said firmly. "Beneath all those layers of anger and spite, you're still human. You still have a life. And you can do whatever you want with that life. It's your call."

Frisk outstretched their hand. "But hurting yourself and countless innocent people won't bring Asriel back. And that's okay. After all, you spent so much time together. Just remember him like that."

Frisk fell to their knees and embraced a silent Chara in their arms. "Despite everything, it's still you."

Chara was stunned. Why weren't they fighting? Didn't they know that Chara planned to kill them no matter what?

Chara raised their knife. "Frisk, no!" they heard Sans shout. Chara tried not to care.

But they couldn't. They could feel the wall they spent seventy years building around themselves begin to fall. Everything hurt so bad. Chara felt something heavy and thick cloud their chest. They had forgotten what it was called.

Instead of killing Frisk like they had intended, Chara squeezed Frisk back. Fat, hot tears slid down their face. "I miss him so much," Chara whispered. "Every day that passes without Asriel feels so empty. Ever since the day those humans shot him down, I hated them. I hated my own species. They took everything I had. So I stayed. I watched the village crumble and die, keeping vigil over those flowers that had become so sacred to me." Chara sobbed into Frisk's shoulder. "Buttercups were his favorite. He said that even the most tainted flower could be beautiful if it wanted to be. That's where he dusted, in a field of buttercups. God, it was so awfully fitting."

"Shh," Frisk comforted, rubbing circles on Chara's back. "Everything's okay."

Chara broke the hug, rubbing their eyes. "I want him back. I'll do anything to bring him back."

Frisk met Chara's round, red eyes. "I know."

"Anything, huh?" a raspy voice chirped from behind Chara. Frisk looked up just in time to see a forest green vine aimed at Chara.

"Chara!" Frisk cried, attempting to shove their new ally out of the way. They were too late. The vine pierced Chara's chest like nothing, splattering Frisk in their blood. "NO!" they cried.

Chara looked down at their bleeding chest. The vine had just barely missed their heart. Chara fell to the ground, the hole in their chest gory and gaping. Frisk could see their torn muscle, their throbbing veins, spurting blood and a broken rib dangling out of their chest. Blood dripped from Chara's mouth as they coughed.

"Go ahead," Flowey sneered. "I dare you to reset. To stop being a coward! To realize I betrayed you and kill me!"

Chara's dull yet leveled gaze met Flowey's. To the flower's shock, they smiled. "I'm done… cheating death…" they murmured, gazing into the sky.

"Coward!" Flowey hissed.

"Really…? I thought… that feigning immortality was cowardly…."

A small, red glow emanated from Chara's chest. If Frisk squinted hard enough,they could see a small love heart.

Saliva dripped from Flowey's mouth as the bright, red soul rose from Chara's chest.

"Promise me something," Chara whispered, their voice weak.

"What now?" Flowey muttered.

"Please… give this to Azzy, and tell him that I love him so much…" Chara smiled.

"I promise," Flowey returned stoically.

"You hear that, Asriel? We're almost there," Chara sighed, gazing up into the soft dusk's glow.

Chara went still.

Flowey began to chuckle, which turned into howling laughter. "I have them!" he squealed. "I have all seven!"

The air around Flowey began to vibrate as the seven souls shuddered. Flowey cackled as the winds whipped around him, obeying his every whim.

"Frisk! Let's go!" Frisk turned to see Sans, Undyne and Mettaton already ten feet away, panic lighting their eyes.

Frisk grabbed their dagger and sprinted after them, flinching every time a branch or vine shot up from the ground in an attempt to capture them.

"Go! Go! Go!" Undyne screamed, the airship coming into view a hundred yards away.

Frisk threw themselves into the cockpit and rushed into the pilot's seat. They flipped random switches and buttons until the vehicle started up.

"Select Auto-Pilot!" they screamed into the speakers.

"Auto-Pilot selected. Please hold as I refresh the safety proto-"

"Skip! Skip! Get us the hell out of here!" Frisk shouted back.

"Safety protocol skipped. Preparing for takeoff in ten.."

A vine whomped on the side of the ship, making it rock side to side.

"Nine…"

Flowey's enraged scream got closer, now only fifty yards away.

"Eight…"

The ground shook beneath them.

"Seven,"

More vines knocked the ship around, nearly tipping it over.

"Six…"

"Come on!" Frisk urged, slamming the dash in frustration.

"Five…"

The oxygen masks fell from overhead.

"Four…"

Flowey was twenty yards away.

"Three…"

Ten yards.

"Two…"

Five yards.

"One."

Flowey could easily be seen through the window, a murderous grin on his face.

"Idiots," he hissed. "Did you really think you could escape the god of your new world?"

Just as he was about to lunge for the ship, it skyrocketed into the air, blowing dust into the flower's face.

"We did," Frisk returned quietly, their heart racing and their body shaking. Tears threatened to fall from their eyes.

Frisk took a deep breath. They put on a smile and walked into the main cabin.

Everyone looked up when Frisk walked in. "You're hurt," Sans noted. Frisk looked down at their chest, where Chara had left that deep gash.

Chara. It pained Frisk to think about them too much. How, their newfound peace had been cut so short. How Frisk had let them die.

"I guess I am," Frisk finally said.

Sans nodded. "Undyne's hurt too. Her stomach reopened.

"Damn," Undyne winced. "I thought that was mostly healed."

"Is there a first-aid kit in here?" Sans asked Mettaton.

"There is, actually. I can go get it," Mettaton said, slinking off to the med bay. He returned shortly with a white case in hand.

Sans stood up. "I take Undyne, you take Frisk?"

"Sounds good, darling," Mettaton replied. He kneeled down next to Frisk.

"I didn't know you had medical knowledge," Undyne called.

Mettaton pulled out a case of stitches. "Alphys taught me when I was seventeen," he said. "She said it was important to know monster and human first-aid if I wanted to fight. I haven't actually had to use it until now."

"Huh," Undyne shrugged.

"Please sit still," Sans said.

"Hey, Mettaton?" Frisk asked. "How did you meet Alphys?"

"It's a pretty long story," Mettaton chuckled. "Blooky and I grew up in some sweatshop orphanage living in the city. We never knew our parents, but we knew that we were cousins. All we had were each other. The sweatshop owner was a human who thought monsters were soulless or something, so she forced monster children to work while human kids played. Eventually Ibroke us out of there and we spent the rest of our lives on the streets until Alphys took us in. The rest is just a bunch of boring exposition and character development that no one wants to hear."

"Oh," Frisk replied.

"Darling? I know this is going to sound terrible, but can you take off your shirt?"

"Seriously?" Frisk muttered, tossing their cowl to the side and pulling their tunic off, revealing a bloody camisole and a worn binder.

"I'm gonna do it," Undyne whispered to Sans, who's eyes widened.

"Undyne, wai-" he tried to stop her, but to no avail. Undyne let out the loudest and most obnoxious wolf whistle she could muster.

Mettaton turned to look at her with a sweet grin, yet his eyes held murder. "Darling," he said through clenched teeth. "You do know that I am twenty-two years old and gay, right?"

"Same," Undyne said, slumping against the wall to let Sans continue stitching. Mettaton huffed and dabbed rubbing alcohol into Frisk's wound. They hissed at the burn.

"Hey, can I borrow that?" Sans asked, pointing to the bottle.

Mettaton shrugged. "Sure," he said. "All yours, darling."

Sans took the bottle and chugged nearly half of it.

"You're going to die," Undyne said bluntly.

"Skeletons don't have livers."

She shrugged. "Fair point."

Mettaton sighed and picked up his needle. "I should warn you. This is going to hurt. If you need to squeeze something, just ask."

"No, no! I'll be fine!" Frisk said.

"If you say so," Mettaton poked the needle into Frisk's skin, and they had to bite their lip so they didn't scream. Their skin felt like fire as Mettaton laced the needle back and forth through their flesh. They cringed and flinched and the blood welled up from the tiny pinpricks.

After what felt like an eternity, Mettaton reached the end of the wound, pulling the stitches tight. He tied a knot and stood up to go make a coffee.

Sans too stood up. "Stay out of trouble, you two. Seriously. Undyne, we don't need your cut opening up a third time."

"Whatever," Undyne grumbled. "Hey, Metta! You better bring me a coffee!"

"Get your own damn coffee!" Mettaton's metallic voice shouted back.

Frisk stood up and made their way to Sans, who sat by the window, staring into the night with tired eyes.

"You okay?" Frisk asked with concern.

"You saved us," Sans whispered. "If you hadn't intervened, we would have died. Again. Thanks."

Frisk frowned. "But someone didn't make it out."

"You feel bad about Chara, don't you?" Sans asked, turning to face Frisk.

"It's my fault they're dead, Sans," Frisk wept.

"Kid," Sans said, placing a hand on Frisk's shoulder. "Some things just can't be helped. It's not your fault. If they wanted to live, they would have reset."

Frisk said nothing. "...Flowey's still out there. He can still hurt people. I have to stop him."

"And we will. In time. Right now, let's just celebrate the fact that we're all alive, okay?"

Frisk sniffled. "Yeah, okay. I can do that." they whispered.

"That's what I'm talking about," Sans chuckled. Just out of curiosity, he allowed himself to peer deeper than Frisk's exterior. He gazed into their soul.

Sans almost had to cover his eyes. Frisk's soul was brighter than the sunlight itself. It created flares in Sans' vision. The closer he looked, the more something seemed wrong with it.

There was a tiny shard of red next to Frisk's soul.


	8. Aftermath

Flowey paced through the empty corridors of Airship 72. He had a plan. He had the power. It was perfect.

He pulled out the seven souls. Flowey wanted to admire their luminosity. All seven were glowing vivaciously. His beady eyes hungrily traced over each and every soul. He licked his lips. These were a part of him now. He could do anything he wanted with them. It had been so long since he'd experienced the sensation of a soul. Most creatures took it for granted, but he could feel them. Wriggling, squirming, desperate for escape. The feeling was most satisfactory.

Flowey giggled with ecstasy, but he faltered when he saw Chara's soul. It shone the dimmest, barely any life was visible. Flowey frowned, feeling just the slightest bit of… something.

He brushed it away.

However, upon closer inspection, Flowey noticed something was horribly, utterly wrong. At first glance, Chara's soul was depressing, yes. Lackluster and empty. But it was something else that worried Flowey.

He gasped in realization, the other souls evaporating at his subconscious demand.

Chara's soul was missing a piece. Flowey didn't have his seventh soul.

A low, threatening chuckle escaped the flower's lips. "Oh, Chara," he tutted. "You're still so sly after seventy years of relentless killing. You thought you could delay my reign by latching on to that human with the last of your determination, concentrated into a tiny, half-conscious shard of soul."

Flowey's fit of laughter grew louder and louder. "You idiot! Don't you see what you've done, Chara? I owe you a huge thanks!"

His voice grew soft. "You just gave me a great idea," he whispered, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

This was going to be _so_ much fun.

* * *

Frisk stood still, overlooking the sea of buttercups. The crumbling and abandoned buildings stretched across the horizon. A tumbledown fence surrounded everything. A broken 'No Monsters' sign still hung shamefully on the fence. Not a soul was to be seen.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Sans asked.

"I'm sure," Frisk replied. "Let's start digging."

Sans set the frail body of Chara in the bed of flowers and went to join Frisk. He tossed a shovel to Frisk and the two of them began to break ground.

Frisk looked around at the sad world around them as they dug. It was hard to believe that, a short seventy years ago, this was a functioning town. Everything looked like it hadn't been touched in ages. Frisk was surprised any of the buildings still held.

This was the very place Asriel had died. It was a small mountain town in Idaho, just out of the blast radius. The people here prided themselves on fighting in nearly every monster and human war, and as such chased any monster out of town. Apparently, Asriel had hoped to pass through this village, but the panicked guards had shot him down. His dust spread over the flowers surrounding the small town.

"Kid?" Sans asked, setting his shovel to the side. "Why are you doing this? Why pay your respects to the person who tried to kill you?"

"Sans, Chara wasn't evil. They were scared and lonely, and brainwashed by that damn flower," Frisk answered.

"But, they were still dangerous. They killed six people," Sans argued.

"Because they thought it was bringing back their brother."

"That's no excuse," Sans said bluntly.

Frisk looked Sans in the eye. "Sans, if Papyrus died, I know you'd do the same."

Sans went cold. He took a step closer to Frisk. "Never," he growled through gritted teeth. "Talk to me about Papyrus like that."

Instead of flinching, Frisk squared up to Sans. "You think you're the only one allowed to hurt? I let someone die! Someone who was brainwashed, who could've changed!" Frisk yelled, narrowing their eyes. They whipped around to finish digging.

Sans glared at them and sat in the flowers. He absentmindedly began ripping the sagging buttercups.

Frisk clenched their hands around the shovel, shaking their head. Why hadn't they come alone? Frisk felt they should have known Sans would get like this. Ever since the showdown in Napa, the skeleton had been edgy and suspicious around Frisk, constantly eyeing the human weirdly. Frisk was sick of it.

Only three nights ago, it had escalated so much that Frisk had stormed out of the lab after a fight. They stayed at a musty lodge across town for the night, drinking their problems out until Undyne forcibly brought them back the following morning.

Frisk still couldn't deny that something was indeed off, however. They had been angrier, more violent, more _determined_ after the fight. They tried to convince themselves that it was nerves, the fear that Flowey was out there. He was a monster with unimaginable power. A monster with one human soul was threatening, a monster with seven was a living nightmare.

"Is it Flowey? Sans asked. "Are you scared of the fact that with seven souls, he could kill literally all life on Earth?"

Frisk dropped the shovel. "That's not what he'd do. He would only kill enough people to cause panic, and then he'd have fun torturing everyone," they said.

Frisk paused. "My only problem is: why hasn't he done it? He has seven souls. We haven't heard about anything. No disasters or mass killings. Where is he?"

"Good question," Sans mumbled. He eyed Frisk as they moved to fetch Chara's body. Frisk knew it. Sans was always watching them these days.

They kneeled next to Chara and picked them up with their softest touch. Chara was incredibly light and skinny. Frisk had deliberately covered their face with their hair, so they would see the effects of the decomposition. In life, Chara was almost pretty. They had silky brown hair, much more tame than Frisk's. Their eyes were the strangest crimson red, like wine as it was struck by the light of a sunset. Their skin was fair, barely dotted by freckles.

Frisk looked at their swollen and bruised skin, their oddly closed eyes, the gaping, rotten wound on their abdomen, the way their exposed ribs stuck out in all directions. It was sad, really.

They placed the body in trench and covered it in dirt. Eventually, Frisk had a mound of dirt, completely devoid of the golden buds surrounding. It was depressing. They pulled a river stone from their bag, the prettiest they could find. Frisk had painted the names of Chara and Asriel on the side and placed it on the mound.

"Kid, could you hurry it up?" Sans asked.

"Hang on," Frisk sighed, making sure the stone was placed perfectly. They sat criss-cross, feeling the gentle, polluted breeze gently tousle their hair. The core of their being seemed to resonate with the moment, sheltering in its sickened warmth. Chara was dead and Flowey was inches away from destroying the Earth, but everything seemed still. Peaceful, even.

Sans narrowed his eyes, looking at the resting figure of Frisk. He, for the tenth time that week, he peered into the pneuma of his human companion. And, like the past ten times, that tiny shard of red still rested by Frisk's soul, clinging to it desperately. The shard remained a mystery to Sans. All he knew was that it contained some horrifying level of determination. A level that would vaporize a monster and drive a human to madness.

Determination could be a good thing, but it was also deadly and dangerous when corrupted. When a creature will do anything in it's power to get what it wants, whatever the cost may be. That sent chills down Sans' spine.

Just what could Frisk do?

Speaking of Frisk, they had become very comfortable on the mound of dirt. They wanted to pay their respects to Chara and Asriel, but how?

It came to them suddenly. An old lullaby that was tradition to sing amongst monsters. Frisk used to sing it when no one was around.

" _Close your weary eyes, sweet child"_

" _As the sunlight fades away"_

" _But the fire in thy soul shall prevail"_

Frisk had not heard the song in years, but they marched on through the lyrics.

" _Through the_ _harrowing_ _long road,"_

" _And the_ _evanescent_ _faces"_

" _You'll hold strong in this life that you've kindled"_

Frisk stopped for a moment, letting their swelling voice soften.

" _This world's chaotic and unsure,"_

" _But please_ _heed_ _my words, sweet child,"_

" _Let in the ember in thy soul be thy guide"_

Frisk hung on the last note, letting their voice gradually slow to a stop. Frisk gazed at the headstone, one last time. They could almost feel themselves staring into the eyes of the children who had died. They died in ways no child should. Frisk couldn't stand it.

"I'm sorry," they whispered, their voice cracking. "I'm so sorry."

They shut their eyes. Frisk couldn't stand to look at the names anymore. It was unbearable. They stood up reluctantly.

"I'm ready to go," Frisk told Sans quietly. "I came and paid my respects, so let's just go."

"Whatever you say, kiddo," Sans said, grabbing Frisk's hands. The two of them felt the world disappear under their feet.

Frisk didn't know if it was their imagination, but they almost thought they could hear singing. They tried to shake it off, but it persisted.

 _This land, it has no heart,_

 _You must kill or else be killed,_

 _It's your choice, sweet unlightened child._

* * *

Napstablook sat on his usual ledge, blasting music through his headphones. He looked out over the city, his feet dangling five stories in the sky. Napstablook often found his way to this spot when he needed time to breathe. Something about seeing the bright lights and towering skyscrapers was incredibly sobering.

Tonight was one of those nights where sleep just didn't come for Napstablook. No matter what the robot did, sleep just wouldn't come. He even tried to manually shut himself down, but his CPU cancelled the order. So he was here instead.

Napstablook knew exactly why he wasn't sleeping. There was too much to think about. He had been completely filled in about the events of the fight from his cousin, and even though nearly a week had passed, the robot had not slept.

Napstablook leaned back on the ledge, staring up at the moon. He lacked a proper heart, but something about the moon calmed his nonexistent pulse. He breathed in unison with the music blaring in his ears.

"Hello, Napstablook!"

Napstablook's wires sparked with surprise, and he jerked up his head.

"Oh… Hi, Papyrus," Napstablook said, relaxing. "Um, why are you here…?"

"Oh!" Papyrus said. "Alphys said you like to hang out here!"

"But why… are you here…" Napstablook asked again, feeling the slightest bit of annoyance.

"Ah, yes," Papyrus said, hushing his voice. "You know, Mettaton's been really quiet since the fight. I really want to cheer him up. And, um, you know him better than me."

"So… you want ideas," Napstablook summed up.

"Yeah!" Papyrus said.

Napstablook thought for a moment. A lot of things made Mettaton happy. Hell, he was almost always happy. And that's why cheering him up was so difficult. Maybe everything was enjoyable to him, but there were very few things that he genuinely cared about. Then it hit Napstablook.

"You know… there's this club the Mettaton used to frequent. He hasn't been there for a few years, though… I remember him saying he wants to go back sometime…" Napstablook suggested.

"Hmmm. And what is this club called, exactly?"

"I think it was called 'Club Orion'..." Napstablook said.

"Very well! I shall take him tonight!" Papyrus exclaimed.

"Tonight…? It's two in the morning…" Napstablook murmured.

He looked up. Papyrus was already rushing off.

"Figures…"

* * *

Papyrus sped through the dark halls towards Mettaton's door.

"Mettaton?" he called, knocking on the door.

"Come in," Mettaton's muffled voice returned.

Papyrus pushed the door open and stepped into Mettaton's room. The room was rather large, with the far wall made completely out of glass, giving a nice view of the city. The robot's bed was cushy and lush, accented by a bright, pink duvet. Fairy lights wrapped around the room, illuminating it in a soft, white glow. Various photos, mirrors and makeup cases littered the walls and surfaces.

There were other things, too. Wires and cables peeked out from under Mettaton's sheets. On his desk was a screen attached to a wire. It was blank. Side by side with the romance novels on the shelves were manuals and blueprints, presumably to his own body.

"Hello, Mettaton!" Papyrus exclaimed, seating himself next to the robot.

"Hi, Papyrus," Mettaton said in that silky-smooth voice of his. He sat at a vanity, closely examining his makeup. While it looked fine to Papyrus, Mettaton was somehow still finding microscopic flaws to perfect.

"So! You've been a little quiet lately, so I want to take you somewhere! My treat!" Papyrus said excitedly.

Mettaton's eyebrows rose. "Really? Where?"

"It's a surprise, silly!"

Mettaton gasped. "Well, I have to get dressed!"

He rushed into his closet, leaving Papyrus to bounce awkwardly in a springy chair and look around the room. Papyrus also noticed an ensuite bathroom, which looked just as strewn about with expensive makeup.

"Formal or casual?" Mettaton hollered from the closet.

What was Papyrus supposed to say? He hadn't asked Napstablook what the dress code was, and he didn't want to make Mettaton feel bad by underdressing or overdressing.

"Ummm… semi-formal?" Papyrus answered uncertainly. "Yeah, like a dressy casual!"

"Thanks, sweetheart! I think I'm gonna go for an 'edgy yet sophisticated' look, your thoughts?"

Papyrus didn't really know a thing about fashion, as he always wore combat gear with a scarf and boots. "Uh, sure!"

Wait.

WAIT. Did Mettaton just say 'sweetheart'? Papyrus tried not to shriek. What did that mean? Papyrus honestly sucked at flirting, and of course Mettaton used pet names for everyone, but this felt different. Was he finally picking up on all of Papyrus' hints?

If skeletons had blood, Papyrus would be red as a tomato. He could imagine himself getting even more flustered when Mettaton stepped out of the closet.

"How do I look?" Mettaton purred. He wore a black, blouse-like top with a pink collar. He layered a studded leather jacket over that, accented by high-waisted black jeans and hot fuschia pumps. Mettaton topped it all off with a spiked velvet choker and black lipstick.

"Wowie," Papyrus tried to carry the usual gusto in his voice, but it kind of fell flat and turned into a sigh.

Mettaton chuckled behind his hand. "I assume that means I look absolutely arresting."

"Yeah," Papyrus breathed, but he aptly regained composure. "Well then! Shall we be off?"

Mettaton gave a show-stoppingly foxy smile. "Take me away, darling."

Within minutes, Papyrus and Mettaton had boarded a public tram and were on their way to Hollywood, as Club Orion was located along the archaic-yet-still-much-appreciated walk of fame. All the while, Mettaton was excitedly gushing about a new lipstick line.

"Papyrus, they use old pens as pigment! Only twelve different colors of ink, but ninety-nine different shades of lipstick! Isn't that sooo crafty?"

Papyrus lacked lips, so he really couldn't relate much to what Mettaton was saying, but he still responded with enthusiasm. If it made Mettaton happy, Papyrus was content.

They spent the rest of the ride talking about nothing in particular. Occasionally, Mettaton would point out a historical landmark from before the wars.

"Look! Alphys told me about that place. I think it was called the Griffith Observatory," he would say.

Eventually, the tram stopped and the two departed. "Okay," Papyrus said. "We're getting close, so you have to close your eyes!"

"Okay, okay!" Mettaton laughed. "They're closed. Mind being my seeing-eye skeleton!"

"I would be honored!" Papyrus announced, puffing his ribs out heroically. He grabbed Mettaton's elbow and began walking.

For going at a brisk pace and lacking sight, Mettaton was surprisingly deft in heels. They reached their destination in quick time.

"You can open your eyes!" Papryrus declared, releasing Mettaton's arm.

"So, what's this big… oh," Mettaton stopped talking when he realized exactly where they were. "Oh, 'Rus,"

"D- Do you like it?" Papyrus asked, slightly flustered by the nickname.

"Oh, Papyrus, this isn't good at all," Mettaton frowned.

The skeleton blanched. "Wha-"

"It's great!" The robot shouted, wrapping Papyrus tightly in a hug. "How did you know I've been missing this place?"

"Napstablook told me," Papyrus admitted. "I wanted to cheer you up, so…"

"Well?" Mettaton offered, outstretching his hand. "Night's not waiting for us. Shall we dance?"

Papyrus took Mettaton's hand and they entered the club together.

It took all of Papyrus' willpower not to drop his jaw as he entered. The ceiling seemed to stretch for miles, balconies dotting the walls. Three-dimensional holograms of stars and moving constellations stretched high, and clubgoers in the balconies would reach their hands out to touch the synthetic celestial bodies. Pristine, blue drapes covered the stage, where a DJ dressed in a completely silver outfit mixed away. On the dancefloor and at the sparkling, navy bar, hundreds of people danced and sang and talked. Monsters and humans were one. Wildly dyed hair and fur bounced and flashed under the stars. Beads of sweat dripped off most of the dancers, their eyes wide with wild ecstasy. Glitter rained down from the heavens, washing upon everything it touched.

"Isn't it great?" Mettaton shouted over the music. He was making his way to the dance floor, but Papyrus hung back.

"Yeah," Papyrus agreed. "Definitely impressive for my first time at a club!"

Mettaton gawked. "Papyrus, you've never been to a night club?"

"No," Papyrus admitted.

Mettaton unexpectedly grabbed Papyrus' hand and dragged him to the dance floor. "Then you're dancing tonight!"

"I don't know how!" Papyrus said honestly. Mettaton's playful gaze turned into a determined one.

"I'll teach you."

They spent the next hour dancing rather slowly, as Mettaton was teaching Papyrus the steps. At some point, the skeleton got the hang of it and the two of them were spinning and lifting each other like professionals. Mettaton found it exhilerating. The two monsters danced in perfect unison. Neither said anything, yet they felt closer than ever. Like they were understanding each other in a language that transcended speech. Like they were one.

The two finished the dance with a sassy flourish and gazed into each other's eyes. Papyrus' eyesockets, despite being empty, contained so much raw emotion that Mettaton had to look away sheepishly. Yep, there was no more hiding from it. Mettaton had tried to pour his existence into fawning over and admiring his 'fangirls', hoping this would all blow over. But he was done running.

It was not his fangirls he loved, but the skeleton before him.

Papyrus scratched his neck. "It's hot. Wowie, I'm really hot. Are you hot?"

Mettaton pushed the thoughts away and chuckled. "I know a place we can go."

"So, wait, how old were you?" Papyrus gawked.

"Ten," Mettaton replied. "I was ten when I broke Blooky and I out of that orphanage."

"And when did you meet Alphys?!"

"Fifteen," Mettaton shrugged. They were sat on the highest balcony, the dance floor below nothing but the distant thumping of base. Somehow, their upbringings had come up in conversation, so Mettaton was sharing the story he _really_ didn't like to talk about. But, with Papyrus, he wasn't as uncomfortable sharing.

"Oh, Papyrus, look!" he said, sitting up. One of the holographic stars was floating their way, followed by another. They danced around each other as the constellation Opiuchus slithered by.

"Everything seems so small from up here," Papyrus breathed, staring through the starry mist to the floor seven stories below.

Mettaton sighed. "I always used to come here to feel unstoppable, like a star shining in the frigid universe.

Papyrus smiled. "Like an ember lighting the way through the galaxy?"

Mettaton considered his words. "Yeah," he said. "Just like that."

* * *

 **Yes, this chapter took a month to write. Fight me.**


	9. Author's Note

**So, I received a review from a guest saying that the Papyton was ruining the story, so I just wanna say this. If you don't like something, either ignore it or stop reading. I'm going to ship what I want. And yes, this chapter was more blatant about it than i had originally planned. But I'm not gonna change it. I appreciate the "criticism" but, at least in my eyes, it's not ruining the story. Most of the shipping is being pushed to the side in favor of the actual plot. So it's not like Mettaton and Papyrus are going to be passionately making out for the rest of the fic. Literally there will only be two more chapters out of the 13+ more chapters that focus on Papyton. So please just deal with it or leave. I've been combing through this fic since December, changing things and planning out every little detail. I'm proud of this story, and I don't need people telling me I'm ruining their experience with the story I've become so attached to and have been working on for 10 months. I'm the author and it's my say on what happens in this story. Thank you.**

 **On the other hand, thank you to all the people who have been reading this story. I'd like to give a shout out to my two close friends (who shall remain anonymous until I'm sure that they're comfortable with their names being shared) who have been testing the chapters. Like I mentioned in the rant, I've had the idea for this fic since December, and boy has it changed since then. I'm really proud of all the sleepless nights and long walks I've spent pondering all of my plot details. I didn't actually start writing until June, because I was originally going to abandon the idea. I'm glad I didn't. It may not be a popular fanfiction, but it's very personal to me. It's unfortunate that I didn't start writing until the decline in the fandom, but such is life I guess. Thanks to everyone for helping me out. Ciao and I can't wait to see you in the next chapter!**


	10. Undying

It was an average day on Airship 72. Couples in extravagant suits and lacy dresses strolled through the indoor gardens, parasols raised in the air to protect them from the artificial sun. Children skipped stones in the pond and chased the ducks. Families sat on their mansion porches playing games or reading. The false grass blew in the fake wind. These people were content.

They didn't even know everything was an illusion. The citizens had no idea that the grass beneath them was plastic, that the "sun" was just a giant, magic-powered lightbulb. Most didn't even know that everything was being maintained by the "heathens" they feared and hated so much. Airshippers were too detached with real society to get any of it. War was brewing beneath their feet. People died every day. But, these pretentious humans thought that they were safe high in the sky, away from it all.

Boy, how wrong they were.

A thick, thorny vine lacerated the side of the ship, revealing the sky beyond. The pond began spilling out, sending children toppling over the edge. More vines shot from the ground, tearing even more holes. The emergency lights went on, and a voice chimed through speakers.

"We are under emergency lockdown. Remain calm and-"

Whatever the voice had to say was drowned out by part of the ceiling caving in. There were many unfortunate people who were either crushed or had large pieces of shrapnel flying through their body. Guttural screams rang out as more and more died. Large bombs and sharp, white pellets ripped and impaled bodies. Vines tangled around the ship like tentacles.

There could be no survivors.

To Flowey, this was all just a game. These were his pawns. This was only the first step to a war where he would emerge victorious. Flowey could become a god that surpasses all gods. He was going to destroy this puny universe, and then move on to the rest.

"This is it?" He laughed through the speakers, his voice booming. "All these humans, all this power! Chara was right, you measly creatures have gone soft!"

He could feel the ship falling to its demise. He smirked to himself. He wondered where they would land? He had always liked New York.

The endless screaming of people, however, he did not like. He actually found it incredibly annoying. "Shut up! Idiots!" he screamed at the panicked people. They wouldn't listen. He sighed. "Whatever. At least make your last moments enjoyable."

 _Thump!_ They hit the ground just as Flowey said that, and all went silent as the dust settled. The flower returned to his normal appearance and size to explore his handiwork. People were impaled on the metal that had been shredded by his vines. Others had been torn apart by bombs or had "friendliness pellets". They stuck out of eyes and hearts and left gaping holes in the corpses. That's all Flowey could see: corpses.

He considered taking all of the souls, but thought better of it. This was a symbolic gesture, nothing more. After this, there would be plenty of souls for the taking. He had to pace himself.

A cough from nearby interrupted his thoughts. Flowey turned his head, where he saw a blond teenager hanging off a stalagmite of metal that had pierced through his stomach. The kid was still alive.

"Are you… going to kill… me now?" the kid asked, looking Flowey in the eyes.

Flowey smiled. "The offer _is_ tempting, but I'll have to pass. I've had enough fun today."

The boy raised his eyebrows. "You killed… everyone. Why… not me?" He hacked up a little blood.

Flowey shrugged, at least as best as he could. "You'll die soon anyway. Most people don't survive long after being impaled. Actually, it works out nicely!"

"How so?" the boy narrowed his eyes.

Flowey's face morphed into something insane. His eyes grew wide and dark and a sharp-toothed smile stretched across his face. "I need to deliver you to deliver a message."

Somehow, even more color drained out of the kid's face. "What is… this message?"

Flowey's grin grew even wider. "Tell the next human to come here that this was all the doing of the monsters."

This was all merely the first step of many.

* * *

Undyne threw a punch at their human trainee, who blocked it and used the opportunity to sweep their legs under Undyne's. She, however, anticipated this and grabbed their leg. She launched Frisk in the air who blocked Undyne's volley of spears before hitting the ground with a thump. They jabbed at Undyne, throwing off her guard and finally kicked her to the mat.

"Wow, punk!" she panted, standing to grab water. "You're getting good at this! Best part, you didn't slice my stomach this time!"

"Will you ever let that go?" Frisk asked, but they still smirked.

"Probably not," Undyne shrugged. "So…" she started. "How are you and Sans?"

"Terrible. Why?"

"Just wondering. You know, both of you will have to get over whatever's happening at some point," Undyne remarked.

"Or," Frisk stated, rolling their eyes. "We could just avoid the situation and hope it all blows over like it always does?"

"Frisk," Undyne said, completely serious. "We're your new family. Like it or not, family always has each other's backs."

Her voice darkened. "At least, they should."

"I didn't even do anything!" Frisk shouted, throwing a punch at a training dummy, who grumbled (somehow) in response. "He was fine, and suddenly he doesn't trust me? I'm not a demon, I didn't do anything wrong! Why is he so suspicious of me?"

Frisk kept punching the bag, unaware of the fact that their voice was picking up. They finally kicked it over in rage.

"He treats me like I'm Chara."

Frisk looked up at Undyne, waiting for an answer. Instead she was staring off into space, mild horror in her eye.

"Undyne? You okay?"

Before she could answer, there was a loud rapping on the door.

"Frisk? Undyne? We have a situation," Sans called from the other side.

Undyne snapped out of her trance. "What is it? Did Papyrus light the kitchen on fire?"

"Fortunately, no," Sans said, pushing the door open. "But how familiar are you with Airship 72?"

* * *

"Oh my God," Frisk panted, gazing at the macabre sight before them.

Bodies hung from spiked chandeliers of shrapnel, long-dried blood puddles on the soiled astroturf beneath them. A huge hunk of ceiling had caved in, revealing the garishly blue sky. People had been torn apart or riddled with holes. Small fires had erupted due to bombs colliding with gunpowder and magic.

"Who would do such a thing?" Papyrus asked, leaning down to pick up a small, white seedpod.

"Flowey," Frisk hissed, clenching their fists. "I'll kill that little weed who tried to kill me."

They blanched. "I mean Chara." What?

Luckily it seemed as if no one had heard this. Frisk almost let out a sigh of relief until they saw a certain skeleton staring them down with narrowed eyes.

 _Yep. He's gonna kill me the second he gets a chance._

Why? Frisk knew that they and Sans weren't exactly best buddies at the moment, but it was a bit of a stretch to say he was going to kill them.

Frisk sighed. "I need more sleep," they mumbled.

A cough from the left pulled them out of their musings. "Who's there?" Undyne called, summoning a cyan spear. She and Sans shared a look.

"A survivor."

All four of them sprinted in the direction of the cough. The voice would give meek hints of where they were until they came to a screeching halt.

Frisk paled. They would recognise those features anywhere. The mop of blonde hair, the sea green eyes, the bloodied yet still fashion-forward suit.

"Wesley!" Frisk cried, coming to a halt next to the boy.

"You," Wesley breathed, hacking up blood onto Frisk's shirt. "Why are you here? Is it… to taunt me?"

"Shh, it'll waste your energy," Frisk coaxed. "Sans, help me lift him!"

"Save it," Wesley laughed dryly. "Not like I'll live anyway."

"Frisk, he's right," Sans said. "He got impaled through the stomach, it's surprising he's still alive at all. We have to leave him. He won't make it and it'll be a hindrance to drag him around anyway."

"That's what I thought you'd say," Frisk sneered without even looking at Sans.

The skeleton's eye lit up. "I'm sorry kid. I don't think I heard you right."

"Do you ever even try? I thought your job was to save lives, not abandon them!" Frisk snarled, meeting the eyes of Sans.

"I try more than you'll ever know!" Sans shouted. "Maybe if you stepped out your dream land for a second, you'd see that!"

"Dream land?!"

"Yeah!" Sans retorted. "Ever since I met you, all you've done is put us up on these pedestals! Say how we have these dream lives and you wanna be a part of it! Well, buddy, people die! Maybe, if you just woke up and smelled the roses, you'd see that Protectors don't even exist! We're only here to brainwash the public into thinking someone actually cares is they live or die! When in reality, no one's cared since the Royal Guard got massacred!"

"Sans!" Undyne shouted. But he wasn't done yet.

He laughed bitterly. "Maybe I should have let Muffet take you back."

Something inside Frisk snapped. "Say that again," they spat, "and this world will have one less 'Protector' to care about."

They whirled around to begin assessing Wesley's injuries.

"Hey," he said, staring down at the dagger in Frisk's belt. "What… have you got there?"

"A dagger," Frisk growled. "What does it look like?"

"Can it… borrow it?"

"For what?" Frisk asked.

"I'm hurting," Wesley smiled sadly. "Please just give it to me."

"Hang on," Frisk said. "I might need it to free you."

"Are you stupid?" Wesley tried to manage a snap. "Your demon friend is right. Even if you get me off this hunk of metal, I'll bleed out anyway. Freeing me is pointless."

"Then what do you plan to do with the knife?" Frisk asked. Then realization hit them. "Oh."

"Please," Wesley cried. "It hurts so bad, just make it stop."

"Frisk," Papyrus said sadly. "I know it hurts, but he wants to stop hurting."

"I know," Frisk finally said. They handed Wesley the knife.

"And one more… thing," Wesley said, pressing the knife to his throat. "The flower… he wants war."

Frisk could only bury their head in Papyrus' warm embrace as they heard that awful spurt if blood.

And then there was silence. Only silence. And more blood on their hands.

Frisk turned around, eyes closed, as they pulled the dagger from Wesley's still warm hands.

"Keep investigating," Frisk choked. "Make sure that we've found any potential survivors."

As they turned away, Frisk could barely see a seaweed green soul fading away forever.

"Was that him?" Undyne asked. "Was that the boy who hired that spider monster?"

"Yeah," Frisk sighed, pushing past a pile of rubble. "The one and only."

They looked up. "What's up with you?"

"Huh?"

Frisk frowned. "You've been distant since our training session."

Undyne chuckled bitterly. "It's in the past."

Frisk frowned. "Can't you tell me?"

Undyne looked down at her trainee. "Did anyone ever tell you what happened to the Royal Guard?" Frisk shook their head.

"It was ten years ago, and I, Undyne…"

* * *

" _And I, Undyne, will be a part of the Royal Guard in no time!" the tiny monster exclaimed, puffing her chest out like a hero._

" _Maybe if you help out in this mission," the coyote monster returned, "I'll appoint you as a Cadet."_

 _Undyne's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Shiriki!" she skipped away from the Captain to her friends._

" _Guys, guys, guys! Guess what?"_

 _A bird monster looked up from the rock she was kicking. "What?"_

 _Undyne beamed. "Shiriki might let me into the Royal Guard!"_

 _The monster sighed. "Undyne, you're too young. Shiriki might let you join in a few years, but being in the Guard at age twelve is suicide."_

" _But!" Undyne cried hopefully. "I'm a prodigy! I learned from the best!"_

" _Listen, Undyne," the bird coaxed. "Your time will come, okay?"_

 _Undyne just huffed. She just wanted her time now!_

" _Alright!" Shiriki called. "This is the place."_

 _Undyne couldn't believe her eyes. Smokestacks towered in the air, releasing fumes into the twilight. Barbed wire fence surrounded the perimeter. Lights and cameras scoured the area, although most had stopped working._

" _What is this place?" Undyne asked incredulously._

" _A lab from before, y'know, everything," a guard spoke up. "They used to experiment on monsters here. This is the place where they came up with that crazy LOVE theory."_

" _LOVE theory?"_

" _It's not important, Undyne." Shiriki answered. "What's important is that someone reactivated and we don't know who or why."_

" _I know." a voice from behind the group said._

" _Who's there?" Shiriki asked, whipping around._

 _A tan girl with a slim stature crept from the shadows, a gun raised in her shaky hands. Her eyes were obscured by a large, brown cowboy hat. Her skin looked dry and her hair was greasy._

" _I'll take you, but only if you promise to get rid of them so I can have my home back," she said, lowering her gun._

 _Shiriki frowned. "You live there? What's your name, girl?"_

" _Adla, and yes. Come on," the girl took off without waiting for an answer."_

 _The bird frowned. "Can we trust her?"_

 _Shiriki sighed. "We don't have a choice. Come on."_

 _The Royal Guard followed the girl to the Lab entrance. "Do you know where the person is?" Undyne asked Adla._

" _No," Adla replied bluntly. "The lab is huge, and they could be anywhere."_

" _Dammit. We'll have to split up," Shiriki hissed._

" _You said you would take us to her!" the bird monster snapped at Adla._

" _Yeah, well they have a pair of legs!" Adla retorted. "They could be anywhere!"_

" _Daya, calm down," Shiriki said. "We'll just split up and whoever finds this mystery person can deal with them._

" _Fine," Daya muttered. "What's the worst that can happen?_

" _Woahhh!" Adla whisper-shouted. "You were trained by the King?"_

" _The one and only!" Undyne's voice swelled with joy._

 _Adla giggled. "I wanna be good at fighting so I can take down all the bad people!"_

" _Girls, keep it down," Shiriki hummed, peering down every corridor._

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

" _What was that?" Undyne asked cautiously._

" _Good question," Shiriki returned. "Let's pick up the pace."_

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

 _It was closer now._

" _Girls, come on!" the coyote hissed, pushing Undyne and Adla along._

" _HELP!" a voice shrieked from across the lab._

" _Daya!" Undyne called._

" _Help m-" Silence._

Thunk. Thump. Thunk.

 _Only three rooms away._

" _Run!" Shiriki yelled, shoving the girls out of the way so he could face the threat._

" _Come on!" Undyne grabbed Adla and sprinted to the door. She pulled the handle. It was locked._

" _What?" Undyne screamed. "Let us out!"_

 _The far door swung open as a figure entered._

" _I have to say, fifteen monsters all in one lab makes for great target practice," the figure mused. They stopped when they saw Shiriki, Adla and Undyne. A smile crept over their shadowed features. "Greetings."_

" _Who are you?" Undyne asked, facing the person._

" _You don't need to know that."_

 _Undyne sneered. "Yeah, why not?"_

 _The smile grew even wider. "What does it matter when all of you will die anyway!"_

 _They lunged at Undyne, striking her in the wrist and knocking her to the floor. She cried in pain as she went down. The figure raised the knife over her head._

" _Undyne!" Shiriki yelled, knocking the human off of the fish monster. Their knife skidded across the room._

" _I don't much like people interrupting my business," the being chuckled. "Tie him up."_

 _Thick vines wrapped around the coyote, dragging him to the ground. "Those who get in my way must be punished."_

 _Shiriki's amber gaze defiantly met the human's crimson eyes. "What will you do to me?"_

 _They paused for a moment. "You have lovely eyes, you know?"_

 _They let out a blood-curdling laugh as they stuck two fingers in Shiriki's eyes, causing him to scream and writhe in pain. The human moved their fingers about in his eyesockets as he twitched._

" _Do you know what they used to do to monsters here?" The being whispered in his ear. "They'd do things just like this to monsters, see just what they could go through until they dusted. Doesn't that sound interesting?"_

" _Stop!" Shiriki begged._

 _They ripped their fingers out of his eyes. "It's amusing," they grinned. "Seeing the Captain of the Royal Guard grovel at my mercy."_

" _No matter. You're not what I'm here for, anyways," they turned to Adla. "Poor little Yellow. You long for justice in this world, yet here I am, bringing it crashing to the ground."_

" _Stop!" Adla yelled, aiming her gun at the human's head. She shot. Nothing happened._

" _Next time," the human warned, shoving their knife into Adla's gut, "Keep a more watchful eye on your ammunition."_

" _NO!" Undyne screamed. "STOP KILLING PEOPLE!"_

 _They kneeled down to pick up Adla's tiny, yellow soul. "And what will you do about it?"_

" _I! I…" Undyne faltered. What would she do? She had nothing. No weapons. No backup. She was paralyzed. Undyne was going to die._

 _A thought came to her, like a solo star in the dark. Could this be her time?_

" _If I'm going to die, then so be it!" Undyne yelled. "But I'm at least going to die making a fighting stand!"_

 _She ran at the human, a volley of blue spears behind her that Undyne had never seen. The human tried to dodge them, but they were rooted to the spot, enveloped in green light. Spears came from all directions, offering no mercy. They cried in sharp pain._

 _Eventually, their soul returned to normal and they could run again, but spears were coming in all directions. The human was hit again and again. But they stood, sending slash after slash after Undyne. It was the ultimate standoff, determined soul versus determined body. Knife collided on spear, trading off with expert skill._

 _Undyne exhaled. What was this feeling? She felt so incredibly alive! Every blow was met with precision. Every dodge was executed perfectly. Undyne could do anything!_

 _Sweat pooled down her cheek. She wiped it away, but stopped suddenly upon seeing it. It wasn't sweat. It was melting scales._

 _For that matter, why couldn't she see out of her left eye? How had she not noticed that she was blind?_

 _The human chuckled through panting. "So, you finally noticed that determination."_

" _What?"_

" _I'd kill you now, but this seems like a much better fate," the human laughed. Undyne tried to stop them, but they were already gone._

 _Undyne had been left alone with the dust of Shiriki and the corpse of Adla. Not to mention she was melting._

 _She did the one thing she could think of. Undyne grabbed a handkerchief from Adla's satchel and tied it around the melting side of her face. It was uncomfortable not being able to see out of her eye, but she would have to make do._

 _This was her life now._

* * *

 _Asgore strummed his hands on the table. "I do wonder where Shiriki is. He was supposed to be back from his mission by now."_

 _Toriel frowned. "It's not like him to be late."_

 _Gaster sighed. "He probably forgot and took a nap."_

" _Whatever it may be, we cannot start the meeting until he arrives," Toriel commented._

 _Asgore chuckled nervously. "Perhaps I should call hi-"_

 _The doors to the room were pushed open to reveal a small fish monster with a yellow cloth tied around her face. Tears streamed down her visible eye._

 _Asgore's eyes widened. "Undyne? Where is Shiriki?"_

 _Undyne gripped Asgore in a hug. "Asgore!" she sobbed into his chest. "He died! They all did!"_

 _Toriel gasped. "What?"_

" _He..! A human!" Undyne spoke through the sobs that wracked her body._

" _A human killed him?" Gaster shot up. Undyne nodded._

 _Asgore kneeled next to Undyne. "Child, you're hurt," he chided. "Why not come with me to get that fixed up and figure this all out over some tea?"_

" _No!" Undyne pushed him away. "We need to fix this now! Please, stop treating me like a child, Your Majesty."_

 _Asgore raised his hands in surrender. "Please, child. You will only agitate yourself. Please at least allow Gaster to examine your wound."_

 _Hesitantly, Undyne untied the handkerchief, revealing the injury. Three gasps of shock rang through the room._

 _Undyne's eyesocket was completely hollow and uneven. Her rough scales had melded together, hardening into a sloppy, drippy-looking mess. Some of her cheekbone was still slick with her melting face and it was dripping down onto her neck._

* * *

" _Oh my…" Asgore gasped._

 _Gaster sighed in relief. "At least it's not showing signs of getting worse. She'll live."_

" _What's curious, though," he pondered. "Is how a monster can have enough natural determination in their body to even melt a little."_

" _Now is not the time, Wingdings," Asgore chided. "Undyne, you need rest. My offer on the tea has still not changed, if you want."_

 _Undyne wanted so badly to protest, but she couldn't. Her body and eyelid drooped as Asgore picked her up to find a bed._

 _But her battle was not over yet. That was a promise._

Undyne finished her story for Frisk, who stared at her with wide eyes. "Undyne…" they breathed.

She smiled nervously. "And the rest is history. Did some busywork for Asgore, met Alphys, watched as she became the Royal Scientist, found Gaster's sons living on the streets, you know how it goes."

Frisk twiddled their thumbs. "Y'know, Undyne? You're a cool person. You almost beat Chara."

Undyne frowned. "Only when I was exposed to mass amounts of determination. And even then, it was a draw, at best. Kid, determination is weird. It's a good thing. But it can be pretty dangerous stuff. You can be determined to do bad stuff, after all. It can give us the power to love, but also the power to hate. So be careful, okay?"

"I will be."

Undyne smiled. _Maybe we aren't so different after all._

* * *

 **WHO NEEDS TIME TO WRITE WHEN YOU HAVE COFFEE**


End file.
